Somalia’s parliament elects new speaker

MOGADISHU, Somalia

Lawmakers in Somalia's lower house of parliament chose Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur as its new speaker early Thursday after a much anticipated election held inside the heavily protected Aden Adde International Airport in the capital Mogadishu.

Over 250 parliamentarians took part in the election following several days of political tensions in the country.

Nur, also known as Aden Madobe, who previously served as speaker of parliament from Jan. 31, 2007 to May 25, 2010, won with 163 votes after defeating lawmaker Hassan Abdinur in the second round.

Abdinur had been widely seen as the candidate backed by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

In a statement after the election results were announced, Mohamed congratulated Madobe for his election win.

"The President of Republic of Somalia @M_Farmaajo congratulated Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur (Madobe) on his election as Speaker of the House of the People of the Federal Republic of Somalia," the presidential palace tweeted.

Somalia has seen political gridlock for more than a year over an election that divided the country's political elites and resulted in a breakdown of relations between Mohamed and his Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble.