The former Speaker of the Somali Parliament, Mohamed Osman Jawari, along with other leaders, announced their plan to visit Baidoa on October 5, following an agreement reached in Baidoa regarding the election schedule for the Southwest State Administration.

Accompanied by a high-level delegation that included the former Southwest State president, Prof. Jawari stated that they had a meeting with the current Speaker of the Somali Parliament to discuss the implementation of the Baidoa agreement.

“We have no fear of visiting Baidoa, and the election will proceed as planned, following the agreement made in Baidoa. We are committed to implementing this agreement,” Jawari said.

He emphasized the urgency of holding elections in Baidoa, urging the federal government, which mediated the Baidoa agreement, to take steps toward its implementation and the commencement of election activities next month.

Jawari expressed confidence that the South West President, Abdiaziz Lafta Gareen, would not reject the election schedule.

He acknowledged the challenges in implementing the agreement, stating that the election might take place in January 2024.

Jawari’s statement comes as President Lafta Gareen prevented opposition politicians from entering Baidoa, which has halted the election process.

President Lafta Gareen signed the consultative council agreement in Mogadishu, which involved the unification of regional government elections to be held by the end of 2024. However, the agreement has not yet been approved by the Somali Parliament.