Somalia set to hold long-delayed presidential election today

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The stage is set for the long-delayed 10th Somali presidential election scheduled to take place today, Sunday at the Aden Adde International Airport, Mogadishu.

The vote, which has dragged on for 15 months, will today see 37 candidates contesting for the country’s top seat. Initially, the seat had attracted 39 candidates but three candidates, including outspoken former Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Guelleh withdrew from the race at the last minute.

Among today’s contenders include, incumbent Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, two former presidents, several top officials, and one woman- Fawzia Yusuf Haji Adam, former Deputy Prime Minister and Somalia’s first female foreign minister.

A total of 329 members of both Chambers will pick the president of the Federal Parliament by secret ballot at the Presidential Election Tent, which is heavily guarded by African Union Peacekeepers.  

To win in the first round, a candidate must secure two-thirds of the vote, or 219 ballots and it is expected that a second or even third round of voting for the four top candidates will take place.

Security has been beefed up in and around the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, and the Somali Police Command put the whole city under curfew from Saturday  9pm until Monday at 6am.

The indirect vote takes place amid heightened insecurity as Al-Shabaab, which opposes the federal government, continues to stage lethal attacks in Mogadishu and several parts of the country. The recent suicide bombing on Wednesday near the heavily fortified airport compound where legistlators met to present speeches, killed at least four people, including two government soldiers.