By ABDULKADIR KHALIF

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Mogadishu,

Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a former transitional federal president of Somalia, was elected a member of the House of the People (Lower House of Somalia’s bicameral parliament) on Sunday.

Ahmed won a contest that took place at Jowhar town, the capital of Hirshabelle State, 90 km north of Mogadishu.

The seat, labelled as HOP 146, was over the past four years held by the current Minister of Internal Security Abdullahi Mohamed Nur.

When Ahmed’s challenger Sharif Abukar Ahmed Sabriye quit the race just before the voting, he sailed through unopposed.

Hence, all the 101 delegates that were selected by clan leaders and civil society actors, voted for Ahmed by show of hands.

Ahmed served as transitional president between 2009 and 2012.

In September 2012, Ahmed lost the presidential contest to his successor former president Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud.

Both Mohamoud and Ahmed as well as ex-Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire are members of the Coalition of the (opposition) Presidential Candidates that is expected to challenge the incumbent Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo in a presidential election that will most likely be held in May.

However, no date has been fixed for the presidential election that will be jointly executed by members of Lower and Upper Houses of parliament.  

In a brief post-election speech, Ahmed thanked the delegates for electing him, promising to serve the constituency fairly.