By Hamdi Jama

The outgoing senate speaker Abdi Hashi retained his seat as the senator of the federal Parliament of Somalia following the withdrawal of his opponent, MR Said Omar Hussein. His seat was one of the six up for contest on Wednesday in Mogadishu.

Hashi is the first person to be elected to the senate of Somaliland seat. He garnered 44 seats against his opponent Said Omar Hussein who got no vote.

Two votes were spoiled. Hashi now makes a comeback to the Senate for the second time.

He was first elected to the senate in 2016 when he was nominated as the speaker of the upper house

Mr Hashi served as a lawmaker between 1979 to 1990 during the military reign of Mohamed Siad Barre .

Between the years of 2005 and 2007, Hashi worked as a minister of Arts and culture during the Transitional Federal Government period which ended in 2012.

He later moved to the health ministry for years until 2008, Hashi, made to the 9th parliament where he served as a chair of the parliamentary committee on information a position he held until 2016, he was then elected as the first speaker of Somalia’s inaugural senate in a contest against Mustafa Mohamed Godah.

The former president of Somalia Hassan sheikh Mohamud congratulated Hashi on his twitter handle on the re-election of his senate seat.

“Congratulation Mr Hashi for your re-election on the upper house senate, I pray you will fulfil your duties with utmost sincerity” said Hassan Sheikh.