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1st LD: Former PM elected new president of Somalia

Xinhua, February 9, 2017 Adjust font size:

Former Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo was elected new president of Somalia in a tightly contested polls held in Mogadishu on Wednesday.

Farmajo, who became the ninth president of the Horn of Africa nation, was declared the winner as outgoing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud conceded his defeat.

Farmajo had emerged as the front-runner in the second round of the presidential voting by members of Somalia's federal parliament but fell short of garnering majority of votes to win outright, prompting a last round of balloting.

According to results announced by the Speaker of the House of the People, Farmajo garnered 185 votes, Mohamud received 97 and former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed finished third with 45 votes in the second round of voting.

Prime Minister Omar Sharmarke who came in fourth in the first round with 37 votes withdrew from the second round of voting.

A total of 328 members of the federal parliament participated in the initial voting. A total of 24 candidates had registered for the presidential election but three withdrew prior to the start of Wednesday's voting.

The election was being held under tight security measures in a hangar belonging to the Somali Air Force at Mogadishu's international airport.

A two-thirds majority of the votes cast in the second round was required to win the presidential election.

If none of the three remaining candidates receives that percentage, a third and final round of balloting will be held between the two aspirants who receive the largest number of votes. Endit