Somali Presidential Election, 2012
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Indirect presidential elections were held in
Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
on 10 September 2012. The newly appointed
Federal Parliament The Parliament of Australia (officially the Parliament of the Commonwealth and also known as the Federal Parliament) is the federal legislature of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch of Australia (represented by the governor ...
elected
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somali language, Somali: ''Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud''; ; born 29 November 1955) is a Somali politician serving as the president of Somalia since 15 May 2022. He previously held the office from 2012 to 2017. Hassan was previo ...
as the first
president of Somalia The president of Somalia () is the head of state of Somalia. The president is also commander-in-chief of the Somali Armed Forces. The president represents the Federal Republic of Somalia, and the unity of the Somali nation, as well as ensuri ...
since the dissolution of the
Transitional Federal Government The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) (, , ) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Somalia from 14 October 2004 until 20 August 2012. It was established in Nairobi, Kenya, following the Transitional National Govern ...
(TFG). The election had previously been scheduled for 20 August, the same day that the mandate of the TFG expired, but was rescheduled for a later date.


Background

Following the outbreak of the
civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
in 1991 that saw the ouster of the
Siad Barre Mohammed Siad Barre (, Osmanya script: , ''Muhammad Ziād Barīy''; 6 October 1919 – 2 January 1995) was a Somali military officer, politician, and revolutionary who served as the third president of Somalia from 21 October 1969 to 26 Janu ...
-led government, many of the few remaining political parties gave way to autonomous or semi-autonomous regional states, or fragmented into feuding militia groups. After several unsuccessful national reconciliation efforts, a
Transitional Federal Government The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) (, , ) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Somalia from 14 October 2004 until 20 August 2012. It was established in Nairobi, Kenya, following the Transitional National Govern ...
(TFG) was formed in 2004 with a mandate leading toward the establishment of a new constitution and a transition to a representative government. Though there has been no government that has controlled the entirety of the territory recognised as Somalia since the
Somali Civil War The Somali Civil War (; ) is an List of ongoing armed conflicts, ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia. It grew out of resistance to the military junta which was led by Siad Barre during the 1980s. From 1988 to 1990, the Somali Armed ...
, there have been democratic elections in Somaliland and
Puntland Puntland is an autonomous state that considers itself to be part of Somalia, despite not accepting the legitimacy of Somalia's current governing administration. It was formed in 1998, and was a federal member state of Somalia from its fou ...
. In the months prior to the election,
Operation Linda Nchi Operation Linda Nchi (; "Protect the Country") was the Kenya Defence Forces' invasion of southern Somalia beginning in 2011. The Kenyan government declared the operation completed in March 2012, but its forces then joined AMISOM in Somalia. ...
, backed by
AMISOM The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during War in Somalia (2006–2009), ...
, the
military of Kenya The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) (, stylized as "KENYA ARMED FORCES" capitalized on its coat of arms) are the armed forces of the Republic of Kenya. They are made up of the Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, and Kenya Air Force. The current KDF was establi ...
and the TFG, pushed back Al Shabaab from Mogadishu and other areas to take control of bigger parts of the country than the internationally recognised government previously had. During the process there have also been several counter-attacks and bombings, including the deaths of high-profile figures. The UN-brokered Kampala Accord also ended the eight-year TFG, thus necessitating a new election. Several members of the
Somali diaspora The Somali diaspora or Qurbajoogta refers to Somalis who were born in Greater Somalia and reside in areas of the world that they were not born in. The civil war in Somalia greatly increased the size of the Somali diaspora, as many Somalis moved fr ...
have also since returned to the country. The twice-renewed mandate of the TFG expired on 20 August. Unlike in previous years, the run-up to the election, which fell on
Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second of the two main festivals in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carried forward to the ...
, the capital,
Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...
, was reportedly peaceful.


Electoral system

As part of the official "Roadmap for the End of Transition", Somali government officials met in the northeastern town of
Garowe Garowe (, ,bicameral parliament Bicameralism is a type of legislature that is divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single ...
would be formed, consisting of an upper house seating 54 senators as well as a lower house; the president is to be appointed through an election by appointed MPs; and the prime minister will then be selected by the president, who would, in turn, name a
council of ministers Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...
. On 23 June, TFG and regional leaders approved a draft constitution after several days of deliberation. The National Constituent Assembly overwhelmingly passed the new constitution on 1 August, with 96% of the 645 delegates present voting for it, 2% against it and 2% abstaining. To come into effect, it must be ratified by the new parliament. A committee was formed to institute a new government and choose a president. The committee comprises 202 MP's and could have another 40 more representatives. On 18 August, committee co-chairperson Halimo Yarey said: "We have 202 members readied now and we are working on the reviewing of 40 others that were passed today and we hope the first parliament session will be held around 0 August The rest of the list is still pending because of inter-clan argument and other reasons related to a lack of fulfillment of the conditions." The Technical Selection Committee is tasked with reviewing and approving a list of MPs from a list of nominations by a group of 135 traditional elders. On 17 August, the first 215 MPs were appointed, while about 70 nominees were rejected for failing the criteria to serve in parliament, which includes being Somali citizens of "sound mind," having a high school diploma and having no links to
warlord Warlords are individuals who exercise military, Economy, economic, and Politics, political control over a region, often one State collapse, without a strong central or national government, typically through informal control over Militia, local ...
s or traces to "atrocities" during the civil war, as well as in accordance with the Galkayo and Garowe Principles accords. The TSC also based its screening procedure on detailed background information on the parliamentary candidates that was forwarded to it by the UN and African Union. The agreement also entails Somalia's four main clan families – the Darod, Dir, Hawiye and Rahanweyn – naming 30 members to the elders for nomination and 15 others suggested by a coalition of minority groups in what was called the four-and-a-half power sharing formula. Though it received praise as initiating some kind of permanent structures, it was also criticised as unfair with voting tied to clans and sub-clans in accordance with birth. The new parliament would consist of 275 MPs in the lower house and an undecided number of upper house MPs capped at 54 representatives. They will be tasked with electing a new president, the speaker of parliament and two deputy speakers. The election had been scheduled to occur if a quorum of two-thirds of members (184 MPs) were present. Even though the total of 275 MPs were not achieved by the end of the TFG's mandate, the necessary quorum was achieved and a vote could have gone ahead as planned. As UN Special Representative Augustine Mahiga said that "this historic moment marks the long-awaited end of the transitional period in Somalia. The new MPs, selected after broad-based, grass roots consultations and representing all of Somalia's clans, have been successfully screened against objective criteria and are now ready to start their important work" and that the day marked the "legal end" of TFG, 222 of the MPs were sworn by the chief justice in at an airport base, which is located by the National Police Academy, which was secured by AMISOM troops. Pending the other 53 MPs the election will then be held by secret ballot. Defence Minister Hussein Arab Isse attributed the delay to a more thorough vetting process in order to avoid allegations of corruption and
nepotism Nepotism is the act of granting an In-group favoritism, advantage, privilege, or position to Kinship, relatives in an occupation or field. These fields can include business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, religion or health care. In ...
in order to avoid the scandals that dogged the TFG. He added that "most people that are coming into the parliament are highly educated and highly motivated." Incumbent President Sharif Ahmed said of the committee that it "was given certain criteria to vet names presented to them. They don't have a right arbitrarily, to choose those on the list and who to reject. If there's a problem, members of the technical committee should go back to the council of elders, but it is unacceptable for them to overstep their mandate." Somalia election took place behind schedule. The final number of hopefuls permitted to take part in the presidential race ultimately depends on which of the prospective candidates meets the presidential election commission's set of minimum prerequisites.


Issues

Though this was the first election in decades to feature campaigning, some unnamed yet attributed as leading candidates said they were keeping a low profile due to the tenuous security situation. Further, the 30% representation for female MPs was frowned upon by the elder advisors who said it was too great a move in accordance with Somali culture. Despite lobbying by
suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...
s, only 16% representations had been agreed upon.


External influence

Prior to the election, a statement from the TFG's backers, including the African Union, the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and the
Intergovernmental Authority on Development The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa. It includes governments from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes. It is headquartered in Djibouti. Formation The Intergovern ...
, read: "The conclusion of the Transition should mark the beginning of more representative government in Somalia. Whilst parliament remains a selected rather than elected body, it is essential that it cuts its ties with the past of self-interest and warlordism, and is populated by a new generation of Somali politicians, including the proper representation of Somali women." Alexander Rondos, the European Union's special representative to the Horn of Africa, said from Mogadishu on 1 August: "We are in Mogadishu to show support because, finally, this is where the future of Somalia is being decided by Somalis. The international community welcomes the important progress that Somalia's leaders and people have made in getting to this stage."


Conduct

Security was increased in Mogadishu on the day of the election with the visible sights of police and military patrols. The chosen MPs rescheduled the election in order to complete the remaining MP selections. The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Godah Barre stated that the election would be held in two weeks' time, with a definite date expected to be announced. On 30 August 2012, the
federal parliament The Parliament of Australia (officially the Parliament of the Commonwealth and also known as the Federal Parliament) is the federal legislature of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch of Australia (represented by the governor ...
convened and unanimously endorsed a new committee tasked with overseeing the presidential elections. At the parliamentary session chaired by the Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Osman Jawari, 15 MPs were named to the body, with former acting Speaker Muse Hassan Abdulle appointed as the commission's chairperson. At a press conference on 1 September 2012, the electoral commission released a ten-point set of criteria against which all prospective candidates for president would be screened. Among the cited conditions were that presidential hopefuls should be at least 40 years of age, a
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, and have no criminal history. Candidates are also required to pay a $10,000 registration fee and must have secured at least 20 supporters in parliament prior to running for office. Voting was scheduled to take place on the 10th of the month.


Results

Members of Parliament marked their ballot papers behind a curtain before casting them in a clear box in front of foreign envoys and hundreds of Somali men and women, with the election broadcast live on television. After the first round of voting, former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed emerged as the frontrunner, amassing 64 votes. Mohamud was a close second with 60 votes. Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali placed third with 32 votes, but later dropped out ahead of the second round along with the fourth-place Abdulkadir Osoble Ali, even though both were eligible to stand in the second round.Elections in Somalia
African Elections Database
Mohamud went on to win the second round, defeating Sharif Ahmed by 190 votes to 79.


Reaction


Domestic

– Outgoing President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed conceded defeat and congratulated Hassan on his victory.


International

High Representative The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP) is the chief co-ordinator and representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) within the European U ...
of the
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Catherine Ashton Catherine Margaret Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland (born 20 March 1956) is a Labour Party (UK), British Labour politician who served as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of th ...
phoned Hassan to congratulate him on his victory. – President Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 7 September 1948 – 13 May 2022) was the second president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, serving from November 2004 until his death in May 2022. Khalifa was the eldes ...
of the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
(UAE) cabled a message of congratulations to Somalia's new
head of state A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 "
he head of state He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
being an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...
, as did the UAE's Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (; born 15 July 1949) is an Emirati politician and royal who is the current ruler of Dubai, and serves as the Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, vice president and Prime Minister of the United Arab ...
as well as the Crown Prince of
Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 11 March 1961), also known as MbZ, is an Emirati royal and politician who is serving as the third and current president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi since 2022. Mohamed completed his edu ...
.
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
David Cameron David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...
congratulated Hassan on his victory. Stating that the elections were a "great step forward" for Somalia.
White House Press Secretary The White House press secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the executive branch of the United States federal government, especially with regard to the president, senior aides and ...
Jay Carney congratulated Hassan on his victory as well as "the Somali people for completing this momentous political transition".


References

{{Somali indirect elections Presidential elections in Somalia
Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
Presidential Presidential may refer to: * "Presidential" (song), a 2005 song by YoungBloodZ * Presidential Airways (charter), an American charter airline based in Florida * Presidential Airways (scheduled), an American passenger airline active in the 1980s * ...
Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...