Somalia to elect next president on May 15

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - Somalia will elect its next president on May 15, the presidential election committee announced on Thursday, with two former presidents among more than a dozen candidates expected to contest for the coveted position.

The Federal Parliament of Somalia's 15-member committee responsible for organizing the election released the schedule, asking candidates to file nomination papers from Saturday to Monday.

“Somalia's Presidential Election Commission convenes today to elect its chairman Abdikani Geelle and deputy chairman Mohamed Keerow,” Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, a member of the presidential election commission, tweeted, adding: "We have also set May 15 as Election Day."

Former presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, and President of the northeastern Puntland state Said Abdullahi Deni are all expected to run for the prestigious position among over a dozen contenders.

The presidential election in Somalia is 15 months behind schedule as President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's constitutional mandate expired in 2021.

The Horn of Africa nation has completed the country's longest parliamentary election, which lasted over 22 months.

Due to the election impasse, Somalia has seen multiple standoffs, primarily between the president and his prime minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble.

Citizens seem to be fed up with political tensions, hoping to see a return to political normalcy in the country.