2009 Somali presidential election

{{Infobox election

| country = Somalia

| type = presidential

| previous_election = 2004 Somali presidential election

| previous_year = 2004

| next_election = 2012 Somali presidential election

| next_year = 2012

| election_date = 30 January 2009

| image1 = Somali President Sheik Sharif visits Balad Town 12 (7703057976) (cropped).jpg

| candidate1 = Sharif Sheikh Ahmed

| party1 = Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia

| colour1 = 000000

| electoral_vote1 = 293

| image2 = Maslah Mohammed Siad Barre.png

| candidate2 = Maslah Mohammed Siad Barre

| party2 =

| colour2 = 00FFFF

| electoral_vote2 = 126

| title = President

| before_election = Adan Mohamed Nuur Madobe

| before_party = Independent (politician)

| after_election = Sharif Sheikh Ahmed

| after_party = Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia

}}{{Politics of Somalia}}

Indirect presidential elections were held in Somalia on 30 January 2009.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7857863.stm |title=Somali rivals to seek MPs' votes |work=BBC News |access-date=2009-02-01 | date=2009-01-29}} Due to the security situation in Baidoa, it was held in Djibouti. President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed won the election.

Background

The election was necessitated following the resignation of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed on 29 December 2008, over the dismissal of the government of Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein which was not approved by the Transitional Federal Parliament.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7802622.stm |title=Somalia's president quits office |work=BBC News |date=2008-12-29 |access-date=2009-01-11}} As such, the Speaker of Parliament Adan Mohamed Nuur Madobe shall act as interim President until the Parliament elects a new President based on the Transitional Federal Charter within 30 days.{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a790e984-d590-11dd-a9cc-000077b07658.html |title=Somali President Yusuf resigns |work=Financial Times |agency=Reuters |date=2008-12-29 |access-date=2009-01-11}} Postponing the election until a new interim parliament, which would likely include moderate Islamist opposition, was considered,{{cite news |first=Edmund |last=Sanders |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-somalia30-2008dec30,0,2869933.story |title=Somalia president resigns; new unity government seen |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2008-12-30 |access-date=2009-01-11}} but Interim President Aden Madobe stated that a new president would be selected within the constitutionally mandated 30-day period.{{cite news |url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90855/6565825.html |title=Somalia's caretaker president says new leader to be named soon |work=People's Daily |date=2009-01-02 |access-date=2009-01-11}} On 11 January 2009 African Union Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra announced that the election would take place on 26 January, with preparations including nominations of candidates commencing on 20 January.{{cite news |url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/January/international_January540.xml§ion=international&col= |title=Somali MPs to vote January 26 for new president |work=Khaleej Times |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=2009-01-11 |access-date=2009-01-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206111121/http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data%2Finternational%2F2009%2FJanuary%2Finternational_January540.xml§ion=international&col= |archive-date=2009-02-06 }}

Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein announced on his candidacy 15 January 2009.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7830526.stm |title=Islamists take bases in Mogadishu |work=BBC News |date=2009-01-15 |access-date=2009-02-01}} Other official candidates include MP Mohamed Afrah Qanyare (an ex-Mogadishu warlord), MP Hassan Abshir Farah (a former prime minister), Ali Mohammed Ghedi (also a former prime minister), Ali Khalif Galaid (another former prime minister) and Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan (an ex-Kismayo warlord); ARS Chairman Sharif Ahmed also stated he was a contender for the presidency.{{cite news |url=http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_s_presidential_election_to_be_held_in_Djibouti.shtml |title=Somalia's presidential election to be held in Djibouti |publisher=Garowe Online |date=2009-01-23 |access-date=2009-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206083725/http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_s_presidential_election_to_be_held_in_Djibouti.shtml |archive-date=2009-02-06 |url-status=dead }} In total, at least sixteen candidates have stated they want to become President; the PM and the ARS chairman are seen as the most likely contenders. Due to difficulties in picking the next president, the deadline was considered to be extended;{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7850720.stm |title=Somalia may delay president vote |work=BBC News |date=2009-01-26 |access-date=2009-02-01}} despite strong pressure from the international community, the original deadline of 28 January 2009 was extended by five days, meaning the election is to be held by 2 February 2009.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7854281.stm |title=Q&A: Somali presidential elections |work=BBC News |date=2008-12-29 |access-date=2009-02-01}}

As planned, the Transitional Federal Parliament was enlarged to include 200 representatives from the Islamist opposition and 75 representatives of citizens' groups and diaspora representatives; the former group was sworn in on 27 January 2009. The 275 existing MPs voted 211 to 6 in favour with 3 abstentions to enlarging the TFP.{{cite news |last=Heinlein |first=Peter |url=http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-01-26-voa48.cfm |title=Somali Parliament Approves Expansion Before Presidential Vote |publisher=VOA News |date=2009-01-26 |access-date=2009-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131195047/http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-01-26-voa48.cfm |archive-date=2009-01-31 |url-status=dead }}

Candidates

A total of fourteen candidates formally filed to stand in the election.{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKLU737708 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203165208/http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKLU737708 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 3, 2009 |title=FACTBOX-Somalia's presidential election |work=Reuters |date=2009-01-30 |access-date=2009-02-01 | first=David | last=Clarke}} The candidates were:

Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, leader of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia
Mohamed Osman Aden, counselor at the Somali embassy in Nairobi, Kenya
Mohamed Qanyare Afrah - Former faction leader, and Minister for Internal Security.
Mohamed Ahmed Ali, a young candidate from the Somali diaspora in the United States.
Awad Ahmed Asharo, MP
Yusuf Azhari, an advisor to former president Yusuf
Ali Hashi Dhoore, a Somali businessman based in Italy
Hassan Abshir Farah, former mayor of Mogadishu and PM from 2001 to 2003
Mohamoud Mohamed Gacmodhere, MP and former minister, was appointed PM by then-President Ahmed Yusuf late in 2008 before resigning a few days later
Ali Khalif Galaid, PM from 2000–2001, university professor
Abdirahman Abdi Hussein, former general and envoy to Iran
Nur Hassan Hussein
Ahmed Hashi Mahmoud, former army officer.
Maslah Mohammed Siad Barre, a general and son of former president of Somalia Mohamed Siad Barre
Musa Mualim Yusuf, a businessman based in Uganda, has never lived in Somalia

Results

There were three rounds of voting. The first round of voting reduced the field of candidates to six, the second to just two, with the winner decided in a run-off round. As the first round of voting began, several candidates withdrew.{{cite news |last=Heinlein |first=Peter |url=http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-01-30-voa38.cfm |title=African Leaders Await Outcome of Somalia Presidential Election |publisher=VOA News |date=2009-01-30 |access-date=2009-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203231344/http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-01-30-voa38.cfm |archive-date=2009-02-03 |url-status=dead }} In the first round, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed got 215 votes, Maslah Mohamed Siad 60 and Nur Hassan Hussein 59; Hussein{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKLU127968 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206200548/http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKLU127968 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 6, 2009 |title=Islamist looks set to be new Somali president |work=Reuters |date=2009-01-30 |access-date=2009-02-01 | first=David | last=Clarke}} and Ali Khalif Galaid then also withdrew.{{cite news |url=http://jimmatimes.com/article.cfm?articleID=31827 |title=Somalia: PM withdraws, Islamist leader to win presidency |publisher=Jimma Times |date=2009-01-30 |access-date=2009-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206123503/http://jimmatimes.com/article.cfm?articleID=31827 |archive-date=2009-02-06 |url-status=dead }} All candidates except Siad and Sharif withdrew after the first round of voting; Sharif won the run-off with 293 to 126 votes.{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKCAW102981 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206200344/http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKCAW102981 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 6, 2009 |title=Islamist leader sworn in as Somali president |work=Reuters |date=2009-01-31 |access-date=2009-02-01 | first=David | last=Clarke}}

{{Election results

|cand1=Sharif Sheikh Ahmed|votes1=215|votes1_2=293

|cand2=Maslah Mohammed Siad Barre|votes2=60|votes2_2=126

|cand3=Nur Hassan Hussein|votes3=59

|cand4=Ali Khalif Galaydh|votes4=31

|cand5=Mohamed Osman Aden|votes5=25

|cand6=Abdirahman Abdi Hussein|votes6=10

|cand7=Ahmed Hashi Mahmoud|votes7=9

|cand8=Awad Ahmed Ashareh|votes8=5

|cand9=Musa Mualim Yusuf|votes9=4

|cand10=Yusuf Azhari|votes10=2

|cand11=Ali Hashi Dhoore|votes11=2