STORY: Somalias Upper House elects speaker

and deputy speakers

TRT: 05:10
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INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: SOMALI/ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 22/JANUARY/2017, MOGADISHU,
SOMALIA
SHOT LIST
1.

Wide shot, members of parliament (MPs) of the Somalia

Upper House electing speaker and deputy speakers
2. Med shot, an MP casting her vote
3. Wide shot, MPs voting
4. Med shot, MPs waiting to vote for the speaker of the Upper
House and his deputies
5. Med shot, an MP casts his vote
6. Close up shot, media covering the elections
7. Med shot, Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson
of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Lydia
Wanyoto, and the AMISOM Gender Officer, Mane Ahmed,
observing the exercise
8. Wide shot, DSRCC Wanyoto and the outgoing Somali Prime
Minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, at the elections
9. Med shot, an MP casts his vote
10. Close up shot,
11. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Abdi Hashi Abdullahi, Upper House
Speaker
I pray to God as I assume the responsibility of being the speaker of the
Upper House that he ushers in his blessings and saves our country and the
Somali people from the severe drought that hit our country hard. I also ask
God to bestow peace and prosperity to the Somali people.
12. Close up, ballot papers
13. Close up shot, stamping of the ballot paper
14. Wide shot, an MP casts her vote
15. Med shot, MPs casting their votes
16. Med shot, MPs waiting to vote
17. Wide shot, counting of votes
18. Med shot, MPs looking on
19. Close up shot, Abshir Mohamed Ahmed Bukhaari, candidate for First
Deputy Speaker looking on
20. Med shot, counting of votes

21. Close up shot, an MP taking notes during the exercise

22. Med shot, Abshir Mohamed Ahmed Bukhaari celebrates after being
declared winner
23. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Abshir Mohamed Ahmed Bukhaari, First
Deputy Speaker
Today we shoulder huge responsibilities as speakers of the Upper House,
most of all I am hoping to execute my responsibility as deputy speaker with
passion. I have already established public offices in Adaado and Mogadishu
and I am hoping to be a senator who represents the Somali people and
perform my duties diligently.
24. Wide shot, outgoing Somali Prime Minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali
Sharmarke, picking his ballot paper
25. Med shot, MPs casting their votes
26. Wide shot, MPs waiting to vote
27. Close up shot, an MP casts his vote
28. Close up shot, a ballot paper being stamped
29. Med shot, MPs looking on
30. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Mowlid Hussein Guhaad, Second Deputy
Speaker
I promise to fulfil my duties diligently and honor the confidence that the
honorable members have accorded me. I will be the most flexible, most gentle
and hardworking speaker as I mentioned in my speech yesterday to the
members of this house.
31. Wide shot, MPs at the election of the speaker of the Upper House
32. Med shot, DSRCC Lydia Wanyoto chatting with one of the winners
33. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lydia Wanyoto, Deputy Special
Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia
We hope that in the coming week, and thats what they have told us, they are
now going to form a presidential election committee and theyre going to
announce the presidential calendar and that will be able to help us conclude
the electoral process when they announce the presidential election date and
well be done now with elections, period. And then we embark on other areas
of our mandate as AMISOM. While on that, we would like to congratulate the
Upper House elections, they were peaceful and they were very democratic.

Somalias Upper House elects speaker and deputy speakers

Mogadishu, 22 January 2017 - Members of Somalias Upper House today
elected Abdi Hashi Abdullahi as their new speaker during a voting exercise
held in the Somali capital.
The veteran politician defeated his rival Mustaf Mohamed Qodah by receiving
43 of the 52 ballots cast in the first round of voting.

The Upper House members also elected two deputy speakers who will help
Mr. Abdullahi in conducting the chambers business.
In his victory speech, the new Upper House speaker thanked his colleagues
for electing him and promised the Somali people that he will live up to their
expectations as the country prepares to elect the next president.
I pray to God as I assume the responsibility of being the speaker of the
Upper House that he ushers in his blessings and saves our country and the
Somali people from the severe drought that hit our country hard. I also ask
God to bestow peace and prosperity to the Somali people, he said.
The voting for the two deputy speaker positions in the Upper House was
much more closely fought. Abshir Mohamed Ahmed Bukhaari was elected first
deputy speaker when he defeated his challenger Abdi Ahmed Dhuhuloow with
30 of the 52 votes cast. Mowlid Hussein Guhaad was elected second deputy
speaker over Abdikaafi Maalim Hassan by a margin of only four votes.
Mr. Bukhaari said the establishment of a committee to oversee the upcoming
presidential election would top the agenda for the two houses of parliament.
Today we shoulder huge responsibilities. Most of all, I am hoping to execute
my responsibility as deputy speaker with passion. I am hoping to be a senator
who represents the Somali people and perform my duties diligently, noted the
first deputy speaker.
The second deputy speaker promised to work closely with his colleagues in
the federal parliament for the betterment of the Somali people.
I promise to fulfil my duties diligently and honor the confidence that the
honorable members have accorded me. I will be the most flexible, most gentle
and hardworking speaker, said Mr. Guhaad.
United Nations staff members and the Deputy Special Representative for the
Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia Lydia Wanyoto
witnessed the election, and Ms. Wanyoto congratulated the senators for
holding a peaceful and democratic exercise.
We hope in the coming week they are going to form a presidential election
committee that will be able to announce the presidential (election) calendar,
and that will help us conclude the electoral process. Then we embark on other
areas of our mandate as AMISOM, she said.
Todays elections of the Upper House leadership drew the participation of 16
candidates, including two female members. Legislators described the exercise
as an important milestone on the way to the upcoming presidential election,
which is expected to take place in February.