UPDATES WITH TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT
By Mohammed Dhaysane
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – Some 328 lawmakers elected Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo as Somalia’s president after five hours of voting on Wednesday in the capital Mogadishu.
Farmajo won in the second round with 184 votes, becoming the country’s ninth president. Outgoing president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the second-place candidate, received 97 votes. Farmajo was selected from among 22 candidates and will serve a four-year term.
Members of the federal parliament met at a former air force base outside Mogadishu at 11 a.m. local time (0800GMT). The venue was chosen to provide maximum security to the lawmakers.
Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony took place in the same base after Hassan Sheikh Mohamud conceded defeat.
The threat posed to the democratic process, notably from al-Shabaab terrorists, was highlighted by a shooting at a village hotel in Puntland, northwest Ethiopia. Police said six people were killed in the attack.
On Tuesday evening, four mortars exploded around Mogadishu. There were no casualties.
– Turkey congratulates new leader
Among the contenders were current incumbent Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, 61, who was seeking a second term after being selected to lead Somalia’s first constitutional government for 20 years in 2012.
Mohamud is credited with turning away from clan-based politics and supporting anti-corruption measures, reconciliation and economic reforms.
Many of Somalia’s political elite, including 20 of the presidential candidates, hold foreign passports, leading to suspicion among some voters about their overseas ties and possible foreign influence in the country.
According to local media, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is also a U.S. citizen.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry welcomed Farmajo’s election in a statement.
“We extend our congratulations to H.E. Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo on his election as president of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” it read.
“Wednesday’s election “is a promising development for the future of the country,” it added.
“Since 2011, Turkey has been pursuing a comprehensive policy to support Somalia in numerous areas, including humanitarian assistance, as well as in the fields of restructuring of the state apparatus, security and development,” Turkey added.
The ministry said Turkey would “continue to support the Somali government and the brotherly people of Somalia during this new period”
