Former Somali presidents, premier among 8 set to seek presidency next Sunday

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – Contenders in next Sunday’s long-delayed Somali presidential elections include two former holders of the office, an ex-premier, and other former top officials.

Somalia's presidential election commission has begun the registration of candidates for next week’s polls, Somali National Television (SNTV) reported on Sunday.

Over eight presidential hopefuls have registered, including former presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, ex-Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre, and some former Cabinet ministers.

"I have officially registered as a candidate in the forthcoming presidential election, scheduled for May 15, 2022,” Ahmed announced on Twitter.

Incumbent President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has yet to file his nomination papers with the election commission, but he still has time, as the registration process will continue for the next two days.

According to political experts, top contenders for the coveted position include Mohamed, Ahmed, Khayre, and Said Abdullahi Deni, the president of Somalia's Puntland state.

A neck-and-neck race in the second and third rounds of the election is expected, said Abdurahman Sheikh Azhari, director of the Centre for Analysis and Strategic Studies (CASS), a think tank based in the capital Mogadishu.

He told Anadolu Agency that these candidates' campaign programs are quite similar to one another. However, he added, those who make pledges about security, foreign policy, regional relations, and the economy will get attention from parliamentarians.

After more than a year of political gridlock over the election in the Horn of Africa country, the presidential election commission, made up of lawmakers from both houses of the country's parliament, last week announced that the election will take place on May 15.