 Somalia's new President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad |
Somali lawmakers have elected opposition leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad as the new president of their war-ravaged country.
During a run-off vote in neighboring Djibouti, Sheikh Sharif, 44, recevied the necessary majority of votes, 213, just before 4 AM local time (0100 GMT) Saturday 31, during an all-night session of parliament under a UN-brokered plan to forge a unity government in the Horn of Africa country.
This leaves him now in charge of a fragile peace process aimed at ending 18 years of civil conflict.
This leaves him now in charge of a fragile peace process aimed at ending 18 years of civil conflict.
Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein had pulled out after the first round coming in third opening way for Sheikh Sharif.
Later the contenders, 16 in all, pulled out of the race with the exception of former Somalian president Mohammed Siad Barre's son, Maslah Mohamed Barre, who came in second in the first round with 60 votes.
He was the only contestant to contest the third round against Sharif.
Later the contenders, 16 in all, pulled out of the race with the exception of former Somalian president Mohammed Siad Barre's son, Maslah Mohamed Barre, who came in second in the first round with 60 votes.
He was the only contestant to contest the third round against Sharif.
Sharif took the first round with a big margin - 215 out of 420, our Press TV correspondent reported Friday.
As per law, all candidates run in the first round, the six most popular go to a second round and the final round is a runoff between the two leading contenders.
The new president faces the daunting task of delivering peace and stability to a country plagued by violence and lawlessness for nearly two decades.
Sharif is the former leader of Somalia's ousted Islamic Courts Union, which waged a bitter war against the country's weak transitional government.
In late 2006, he was forced to flee the country amid an Ethiopian invasion supporting the government.
Ahmed currently chairs a group of opposition leaders called the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) and is an influential religious leader in the country.
The new president faces the daunting task of delivering peace and stability to a country plagued by violence and lawlessness for nearly two decades.
Sharif is the former leader of Somalia's ousted Islamic Courts Union, which waged a bitter war against the country's weak transitional government.
In late 2006, he was forced to flee the country amid an Ethiopian invasion supporting the government.
Ahmed currently chairs a group of opposition leaders called the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) and is an influential religious leader in the country.
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