Mogadishu [Somalia], May 16 (ANI/Xinhua): Somalia is proceeding to the third and final round of voting for the election of the nation’s tenth president after the previous two rounds of voting by lawmakers failed to elect a new president.
Four presidential candidates, including Puntland State President, Said Deni, incumbent President Mohamed Farmajo, former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire contested in the second round of voting after the first round ended without any candidate garnering two-thirds of the votes cast, or 219 votes required to win the polls on Sunday.
The joint committee organizing the exercise said Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud who garnered 110 votes and incumbent President Mohamed Farmajo who secured 83 votes will now proceed to the third and final round of voting.
The winner in the final round of voting will have to get a simple majority.
The 54-member Senate or Upper House and the 274 members of the Lower House of Parliament are casting votes by secret ballot in the presidential poll.
The presidential election which is 15 months behind schedule due to COVID-19, severe drought, insecurity and differences among Somali leaders, comes after Somalia concluded parliamentary elections in April. (ANI/Xinhua)