Mohamud elected Somalia president for second time

Mogadishu, May 15 (EFE).- Former Somalia president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (2012-2017) was re-elected leader on Sunday, beating the current head of state in the third runoff.

Mohamud received 214 of the votes cast by the Somali legislators, while Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmaajo, obtained just 110.

After the announcement of the results by lower house speaker Adan Mohamed Nuur Madobe, Mohamud was sworn in to avoid a power vacuum immediately after the election, which had been postponed for a year.

In his first speech, the new head of state thanked the legislators for their support and assured that he will work for the reconciliation of Somalia.

Farmaajo accepted defeat, and congratulated his “brother” and welcomed him to office.

The elections took place in the form of a joint session of the 329 legislators of the two chambers of the federal parliament, gathered in a heavily guarded hangar at Mogadishu’s international airport, due to fear of possible rebel attacks.

Mohamud, 66, leader of the Union for Peace and Development Party, thus becomes the first former president to be re-elected to lead Somalia. EFE

ma/tw