DHUSAMAREEB (SD) – Members of Galmudug state assembly have today elected two last senators of its eight members in the Upper House of Somali parliament.

Abdi Awale Qaybdiid and Abdi Osman Hareed have won the elections after defeating their rivals.

Galmudug State has today concluded the election of senators marking the end of Senate elections which started in late July.

According to the poll agency, Qaybdiid emerged the winner after beating his contended Awil Nur Ali. Qaybdiid, who Somali police commissioner had served in the last parliament.

In the second seat, Abdi Osman Hareed has won the election after defeating Mahad Aden Guled.

The election of the two Senators now fills up the 54-member chamber of the Upper House.

However, the Federal Member States missed the 30% threshold for women by six percentage points. Out of the 54 seats, women occupy 13 of them translating to about 24%.

According to Somalia’s Federal Indirect Elections Team (FIET), the election of the 275-member Lower House is expected to resume ‘soon. So far, only two MPs have been elected.