Somalia: Ex-prime minister wins presidential race

In 2016 Somalia had been promised a one-person, one-vote election.

He served as prime minister for only eight months between 2010 and 2011.

After decades of chaos and warlord-led conflict, the vote will be historic in this country of about 12 million.

Although al-Shabab, the militant Islamist group linked to al-Qaida that controls about one-third of Somalia, launched two attacks Tuesday near the airport, it has steered clear of the election.

Since 2007, almost 22,000 African Union peacekeeping forces have been deployed to the impoverished country in a bid to assist the government’s battle against al-Shabab.

The election takes place amid accusations of rampant corruption.

“Dirty money is changing sweaty hands at unimaginable rates”, said Faduma Dayib, a presidential candidate who dropped out of the race, in a series of tweets this week.

The security threat from the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab has helped to delay the election several times since previous year. Such countries are believed to be using Somalia’s rampant corruption to land lucrative business deals and spy on American activities in the Horn of Africa, according to the New York Times.

The 328 parliament members have cast their votes to elect the country’s next four year president.

Voting started in Somalia’s ground-breaking presidential election amid a security lockdown that has closed the capital’s worldwide airport and cleared major streets.

Somalia is one of seven countries whose citizens have been temporarily banned from entering the USA under the Trump administration. The electors were lawmakers who themselves were chosen in October by 14,000 clan leaders, politicians, elders and community figures in an election marred by vote buying, bribes, threats and at least a few killings.

Correspondents said most schools and offices remained open on Tuesday but people had to walk to reach their destination. “Now we are so happy that we’re going to find a new president”. And a Mogadishu-based nonprofit organization, Marqaati, released a report this week alleging that some presidential candidates paid $50,000 to $100,000 to legislators to sway their allegiance. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have all been accused of funding the campaigns of specific candidates and thus indirectly fuelling corruption.