Why Somalia withdrew from IPU race in favour of Tanzania

MOGADISHU - Somalia withdrew from the Inter-Parliamentary Union [IPU] elections in support of Tanzania following talks between Dar es Salaam and Mogadishu, Second Deputy Speaker Abdullahi Omar Abshirow has said, potentially bringing to an end a debate criticizing the move.

Somalia withdrew from the IPU presidential race in an election held at Luanda, Angola, which saw Tanzania's Tulia Ackson win with a landslide. The country's candidate was not informed of the withdrawal, leading to a heated debate on social media.

But Abshirow says the decision to withdraw was informed by Somalia's quest to join the East Africa Community [EAC] in which Tanzania is expected to support the Horn of Africa nation. The country is in the final stages of joining the EAC economic bloc, a gigantic over which President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been pushing for.

According to the Second Deputy Speaker Abshirow, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a letter in August expressing Somalia's support for Tanzania in its bid for the International Parliamentary Union [IPU] presidency.

"I can confirm that the Somali candidate agreed with us to relinquish that seat. Subsequently, the Speaker issued a letter that is now public knowledge, in which he announced Marwa's withdrawal from the race. She was aware of the Somali parliament's decision." he added.

But Marwa Abdi Bashir, the candidate for the IPU elections, said she was not informed of the move by Speaker Adan Mohamed Noor Madobe, who was supposed to make the communication. The candidate regretted the move which injured her chances.

Besides the urge to join the East Africa Community, Somalia is also banking on Tanzania to push for slots at the African Union and the United Nations. EAC brings together Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, with Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo joining recently.

GAROWE ONLINE