The Somali Electoral Commission has today filled two vacant seats in the House of the People that became available following the deaths of MPs Khadiija Mohamed Diiriye and Mahmoud Mohamed (Seeseey), both of whom passed away in 2023.
The by-elections were held in Jowhar, the capital of Middle Shabelle region, under the supervision of the Electoral Commission. In a statement, the Commission confirmed that the son of the late MP Seeseey and a sibling of the late Khadiija Diiriye were elected to take over the seats.
This development follows a formal request by the leadership of the House of the People to urgently fill the vacant seats.
According to the official press release, the by-elections took place on May 31, 2025, at the Hirshabelle State Parliament compound, to fill the two seats in the 11th Federal Parliament of Somalia—identified as HOP097 and HOP098.
The elections were attended by members of both houses of the Hirshabelle government, civil society representatives, and traditional elder Ahmed Mahmoud Cosoble, who represents the clan owning the two seats.
A total of 101 clan delegates were present for both seats, and the process was conducted peacefully and in line with electoral procedures. The winning candidates were:
- HOP097 – Abdikarin Mohamed Diriye, who secured 78 votes
- HOP098 – Abdulkadir Mahmoud Mohamed, who secured 90 votes
The late Minister Khadiija Mohamed Diiriye passed away in Djibouti in December 2023, preceded by MP Seeseey who died in March of the same year. Their seats remained vacant until recently, when the Speaker of the House emphasized the urgent need to fill them, prompting today’s by-elections.
