New Prez - Sheikh Sharif

[NGONGE]

^^ Not a complaint, saaxib. It was a mere observation. If he gets the job and manages to navigate his way through the squabbles, disputes and clan mistrust then good and well for him (and Somalia). But that is a really BIG if. I am just being a realist and thinking that the 'front runner' hardly ever wins the race in Somalia.

[Emperor]

Lool @ Asbax,

 

Xiin are you in the believe that with the election of President Shariif all armed me will give up their guns and peace will come in a day just like that, C'mon you must daydreaming !

[N.O.R.F]

Originally posted by NGONGE:

^^ Not a complaint, saaxib. It was a mere observation.

If

he gets the job and manages to navigate his way through the squabbles, disputes and clan mistrust then good and well for him (and Somalia). But that is a really BIG if. I am just being a realist and thinking that the 'front runner' hardly ever wins the race in Somalia.

Brace yourself saxib, brace yourself

[xiinfaniin]

lol@Emp

 

No I dont believe that. But i cant help but notice your 'balo sheegnimadaada'.

[Ibtisam]

So what happens if Sharif does not win and one of the warlords takes it. :confused:

 

Xiin, north iyo Thierry, what would be your options? Would you support the warlord?

[N.O.R.F]

^No more warlords dear. They have been 'neutralised'

[Chimera]

Xiin:

 

 

Keep it coming brother, keep it coming!

[Ibtisam]

Originally posted by Norf 2:

^No more warlords dear. They have been 'neutralised'

What does that mean? they changed shirts and now you are going to put your hopes and dreams on them same former warlords. Waadii

[Ibtisam]

Somali lawmakers have voted to expand parliament and are to decide whether

to delay electing a new president.

 

Some 200 members of the moderate Islamist Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia are to join parliament, along with 75 from civil society groups

 

ARS leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed announced on Sunday he would contest the presidential election.

 

Mr Sharif and Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein are seen as the two main presidential contenders.

 

More than a dozen candidates are expected to vie to succeed President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed.

 

He stood down last month after falling out with the prime minister over a UN-backed peace deal.

 

The MPs met in neighbouring Djibouti due to insecurity at home - in their absence on Monday, the parliament in the city of Baidoa was ransacked by looters.

 

Reports say the chamber building and presidential palace had been stripped, with even the doors and windows carried off.

 

The atmosphere in Baidoa - one of the few strongholds of Somalia's fragile transitional government - is reported to be tense, with different militia groups patrolling the streets.

 

It follows the weekend's withdrawal of Ethiopian troops, who had entered Somalia in 2006 in an effort to oust Islamist groups.

 

While their parliament was being ransacked, MPs voted overwhelmingly in Djibouti to double the number of parliamentary seats from 275. Of the 220 MPs present, 211 voted in favour.

 

Following UN-backed peace talks in Djibouti, members of the transitional government agreed to include 200 new lawmakers from the ARS. They are expected to be sworn in this week.

 

Another 75 new lawmakers from civil society groups are scheduled to join parliament at a later date.

 

MPs are also mulling whether to extend by some 10 days Wednesday's deadline for choosing a new president, to allow contenders time to campaign.

 

The UN special representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, earlier urged the parliament to respect its 28 January deadline for selecting Mr Yusuf's successor.

 

Under the constitutional charter, a new Somali president - who in turn will appoint a new prime minister - should be chosen by parliament within 30 days of the resignation of the last one.

 

But the BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says the chamber is unlikely to decide who should be the new president by then.

 

Our correspondent says the prime minister and ARS leader are the two leading candidates for the post in terms of popularity.

 

He adds that if Mr Sharif wins the presidency, then Mr Hussein would not be able to remain as prime minister because they are both from the ****** clan and therefore cannot hold the top two government posts under Somali power-sharing rules.

 

The more hardline Islamist wing of the ARS, based in Eritrea, and the radical al-Shabab fighters inside Somalia, have both refused to take part in Somalia's peace talks.

 

African Union (AU) peacekeepers, Somali government forces and some ARS fighters are taking up the positions vacated by the Ethiopians.

 

Addis Ababa sent in the troops in 2006 but the intervention proved widely unpopular with Somalis and galvanised the insurgency, analysts say.

 

On Saturday a suicide car bomber targeting AU peacekeepers killed at least 17 people, mainly civilians, in the capital Mogadishu.

 

AU spokesman Maj Bahuko Baridgye told AFP on Monday that Islamist extremists were to blame.

 

He said the militants were plotting more suicide attacks and warned civilians to be cautious.

 

Some 16,000 civilians have been killed in the conflict between Somalia's transitional government and the Islamists, and a million more have been forced from their homes.

 

Some three million people need food aid - a third of the population.

 

Somalia has not had an effective national government since 1991, since when various militias have been battling for control.

 

BBC

[N.O.R.F]

^Sheekadu way dhamaatay baan ku yidhi

[xiinfaniin]

^^great development North.

 

LOL@Adam Z.

[N.O.R.F]

WATCH AL JAZEERA NOW.

 

30 mins on Somalia just started.

[AYOUB]

Originally posted by Oodweyne:

If Sheikh Sharif wins that hotly contested prize, then, it’s likely that he will be expected to do a battle with the likes of Al-Shabaab of this world, if that is they refuse to see reason and joined him on his political platform; so that he can be allowed to continue parlaying with the

"western political agenda"

in the horn-of-Africa, which essentially has brought him up to this point in time.

 

And, in that

“context”

, his clear stand about what he is ultimately prepared to sacrifice for that

“presidential seat”

of his, will be clear for all to see, henceforth, indeed.

 

All in all; it’s a

“poison chalice”

that he decided to gingerly carry on his two hands. And we shall soon see, as to what mettle he is made of, indeed.

 

Since there are many other folks who seriously think contrary to him; whereby the least of those folks, is none other than Col. Dahir Aweys of Asmara and his acolytes in southern Somalia.

 

Regards,

Oodweyne.

If he does win, the first challenge will be the PM choice. His 275 MPs contingent have to consider clan 4.5 formula for a start. Then the "international community" is demanding a government of "national unity" with TFG. Which means he has to make his "Djibouti Alliance" agree to another compromise before selling "his" decisions supposed opponents like Al-Shabaab and Col. Aweys.

 

Sh. Sharif has moved a long way from the man we (thought we) knew in 2006 in more ways than one. He seems more willing to play International and Somali politics. What game he'll play with Al-Shabaab will decide his legacy. He also seems like the kind of person that can challenge Obama to live up to his inauguration speech. Interesting times..

[Sir-Qalbi-Adeyg]

Who in the blue hell hell deleted my comment?

 

As I was saying the next president will be selected on tribal lines and Shieck sharif fits the bill at this point, the prime minister will also be selected on tribal lines.

 

Either way, let's hope they can create an administration in the south that can work with both somaliland and puntland.

[Samafal]

Sheikh Sharif will most likely be Somalia's next president. With his 275 head start and dozens more aligned MPs from the TFG he is almost seems guaranteed to get the top position. But will he solve Somalia's problems? I doubt not but I hope and pray time will prove me wrong.