Senior Somali federal officials and regional leaders gathered in Dhusamareb on Thursday for the inauguration of Galmudug's new president, Liibaan Ahmed Hassan, Hiiraan Online reported. His deputy, Abdiweli Ibrahim Adan Garyare, was being inaugurated alongside him.
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre arrived in the Galmudug capital with the leaders of Hirshabelle, South West and North Eastern regional states, according to Hiiraan Online. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was also expected to attend. Presidential security personnel had already deployed in the city.
The state news agency SONNA said Liibaan welcomed South West leader Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur, known as Madobe, and his delegation at Dhusamareb Airport. He also received several other senior government officials who came for the ceremony.
Liibaan formally took over from outgoing president Ahmed Abdi Kariye, known as Qoorqoor, at a handover ceremony on Wednesday. He won the October 22 vote in the Galmudug parliament with 72 of 89 votes. His rival, Abdulkadir Abdullahi Diriye of the Sincad political organisation, got 14 votes. Three ballots were declared invalid.
The road to the vote was contested. Somalia's Supreme Court annulled the results of Galmudug's July 30 parliamentary election. It cited breaches of constitutional and electoral procedures and ordered a fresh vote. The rerun took place on September 30. Towfiiq, the group whose court challenge overturned the first results, was excluded. Liibaan's Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) won 67 of the 89 seats in the rerun.
Liibaan has pledged to focus on security, reconciliation, stronger institutions and basic services. He also promised to step up military operations against al-Shabab where the group remains active. Galmudug covers a strategic stretch of central Somalia. It has been a major battleground in government offensives against the militants.
The ceremony brings federal and regional leaders together at a time of disagreements over constitutional reform, power-sharing, elections and security duties, Hiiraan Online noted. It said the gathering could allow informal political talks, though no separate talks have been formally announced.