KISMAYO (SD) – The last four senators from Jubbaland state will be elected next Thursday ahead of commencement of lower house elections.

Jubbaland State Indirect Elections Team (SIET) said Tuesday candidates for the four seats will register themselves for the electoral exercise on Wednesday ahead of the Thursday vote.

The new dates follow hours after Jubbaland state leader Ahmed Mohamed Madobe released names 16 candidates vying for the last four senate seats.

Out of the four seats, two will be contested by women only. No woman was elected in the first round of the first four seats on July 29.

Based on the new list today, Jubbaland will likely have only two women in the senate out of the eight slots allocated to the southern state. 

Last week, Somalia’s PM, Mohamed Hussein Roble affirmed that the country’s Lower House election would begin next week.

PM Roble said that the northern regions of Somaliland will be the first to elect their federal MPs, adding that Speaker Abdi Hashi and Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Guled have agreed to expedite the election.

“I want to bring in a new government and system as soon as possible and hand over power with my shirt clean and without violence. Parliamentary elections will begin next week as promised by Speaker Abdi Hashi and Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Guled and other officials in the Northern regions,” said Prime Minister Roble