​Somalia: Upper House election for Somaliland community concluded in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia- A ballot to elect the remaining Upper House Senators for Somaliland community held in Mogadishu a day before Wednesday's presidential polls, Garowe Online reports.

The election took place at the Police Transport headquarters in Mogadishu, where the electoral delegates have casted their votes among eight parliamentary candidates vying for the two seats.

The electoral commission has announced that Bilal Idriis Abdullahi and Saed Abdi Hussein the winners of today's ballot, completing the 54-members of Upper House chamber of the Federal Parliament.

The country's newly inaugurated 329-members of Federal Parliament will vote for a new president through a secret ballot in the heavily fortified Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Wednesday.

On the other hand, the government has announced that all flights to and from Mogadishu Airport will be temporarily suspended due to the election, with security forces and AMISOM deployed to the city's streets ahead of the poll.

This comes a day after PEC changed the election venue from the Police academy to Afisyoni in the airport over security and corruption concerns raised by 18 presidential hopefuls.

Somalia is in final stage for the preparation of presidential election, with 22 candidates, including caretaker President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his outgoing Prime Minister in tough race for Villa Somalia.

GAROWEONLINE