The First Deputy Speaker of the House of the People (Lower House) is now the Acting President of Somalia.
Lower House’s First Deputy Speaker Sa’diya Yasin is now the highest-ranked government official in the country.
This follows the absence of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Speaker Sheikh Aden Madobe of the Lower House.
The Somali constitution recognizes the Lower House Speaker as the Second in Command behind the President.
The First Deputy Speaker is the Third in Command.
President Mohamud is in Turkey on an official visit.
On his part, Speaker Madobe traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj.
The First Deputy Speaker previously served as the Acting President in June when President Mohamud and Speaker Madobe were outside the country at the same time.
Back then, Mohamud was in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while Madobe was in Kenya.