Negotiated democracy: Elders endorse Lafey MP for second term

Murule Weytan elders have endorsed Lafey MP Mohamed Abdikheir for a second term to allow for completion of projects. [Ahmed Hussein, Standard]

Lafey MP Mohamed Abdikheir Mohamed has received huge boost ahead of the 2027 General Election after elders and community leaders from the Murule Weytan community endorsed him to retain his parliamentary seat.

The decision was reached in Lafey town following a series of consultations, including a seven-day meeting by the Abdi Yabarsen family before the matter was taken to a wider gathering of Murule Weytan elders and leaders.

After reviewing the candidates who had shown interest in the Lafey parliamentary seat, the elders settled on Abdikheir as their preferred candidate for a second term under the community's negotiated democracy system.

Lafey Constituency is mainly made up of three Murule sub-clans: Yabarsen, Sharmake and Nacabsor. Yabarsen is the largest of the three, and Abdikheir comes from the sub-clan.

Leading the endorsement, Ugass Abdinasir Maalim Adan said the elders had carefully examined the performance and suitability of the various aspirants before making their choice.

He said Abdikheir's experience, development record and commitment to the constituency made him stand out.

“We have assessed his work and believe he deserves another term to complete the development programmes in Lafey,” Adan said.

Ugass Abdullahi Abdinur Gessey said continuity was important, arguing that replacing the MP before ongoing projects were completed could slow down development.

He pointed to education, healthcare, roads and improved access to clean water as some of the areas where the MP had made progress.

Elder Abdirahman Mudow, meanwhile, called on the Murule community to protect its unity, saying divisions caused by individual political ambitions could weaken the community's position.

He also urged other aspirants who did not receive the elders' backing to respect the decision and support efforts to maintain unity.

Receiving the endorsement, Abdikheir thanked the elders for giving him their confidence and choosing him to carry the community's political flag into the 2027 elections.

The MP said the decision was particularly meaningful because several other aspirants had also sought the elders' support.

He maintained that the endorsement showed that his record had been carefully examined and had received the community's approval. He promised to continue serving the constituency and said he would not take the elders' confidence for granted.

The endorsement marks a significant political advantage for Abdikheir as he seeks to retain the Lafey parliamentary seat, with the elders' decision reflecting confidence in his leadership and development record.