Baidoa, the capital of Bay region, today hosted a swearing-in ceremony for the new members of the House of Representatives of the South West State, attended by federal and state officials.
The Interim Leader of the South West State, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, witnessed the swearing-in of the new members, who were formally sworn in to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities.
The ceremony was also attended by candidates running for the presidency of the South West State, members of the federal government, traditional elders, representatives of civil society and other dignitaries.
In a speech, Jibril Abdirashid Haji called on the new members to serve the people of the South West State with honesty, integrity and responsibility, and to play a prominent role in strengthening governance, security and development in the areas of the administration.
He also praised the smooth conduct of the swearing-in process, saying that the move is part of efforts to strengthen governance institutions and the state-building process in the South West.
The swearing-in of the new members of Parliament comes amid heavy fighting in Baidoa today between forces of the Federal Government of Somalia and forces loyal to the former South West president.
Gareen himself believes that he is the legitimate president of the South West, having recently said that they will make every effort to restore their control over the South West.