Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the former leader of Somalia has been elected the president of the nation after a final vote, open only to the MPs. Here’s everything you need to know.
All about the new president of Somalia
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the new president of Somalia defeated the current president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo who has been in office since 2017. However, the ballot was limited to Somalia’s 328 MPs and one of them did not cast a vote. Mohamud won with 214 votes, defeating Farmajo who got 110. According to reports, three MPs spoiled their ballots. In addition to security concerns about holding a wider election, the nation also has a lack of democratic accountability. Mohamud previously served as the president of Somalia between 2012 and 2017. He later faced defeat at Farmajo’s hands.
More on the elections and future challenges
The elections were delayed for almost 15 months due to infighting and security issues. Hundreds of MPs cast their votes inside a fortified aircraft hanger in Mogadishu, the capital of the country. Mohamud was sworn in after the announcement, prompting his supporters to cheer and fire gunshots into the air. He will be serving as the president of Somalia for the next four years.
As the new president, his biggest task is to take control of the country from al-Shabab. Al-Shabab is linked to al-Qaeda, the Islamist militant group. It is dominating much of the nation and carrying out frequent attacks in the capital. Additionally, he will be dealing with the impact of the ongoing drought in the nation. According to a UN report, 3.5 million people in Somalia are at risk of severe famine.