Får ikke meget at skulle have sagt uden for hovedstaden, men FN og det internationale samfund har skubbet ihærdigt på processen for at sikre fremdrift mod demokrati og stabilisering i det hjemsøgte land på Afrikas Horn.
Somalia’s first formal parliament in more than 20 years has been sworn in in the capital, Mogadishu, marking an end to an eight-year transitional period, BBC online reports Monday.
The MPs hol their first session at the main airport, one of the most heavily secured areas of the city. Their main task is to elect a new president – a vote expected within a week or two.
Outgoing moderate Islamist President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, in power since 2009, is regarded as a favourite.
Other strong candidates include Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali and former parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden.
It is a critical moment for the African Horn country which, since the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991, has seen warlords, Islamist militants and its neighbours all taking a hand in its affairs.
With the help of African Union troops, the interim government has been able to gain control the capital, but al-Shabab – an armed group that has joined al-Qaeda – runs many central and southern areas of the country.
In the face of serious intimidation, a technical committee has removed as MPs some of those linked to violence and corruption.
But for most Somalis, especially those living outside Mogadishu in areas controlled by religious groups and clan militias, life is unlikely to change for some time to come. They are used to living without effective central government, and it is unlikely that the new administration will be able to immediately exercise power much beyond the capital.
The new parliament is made up of a lower house with 275 members and an upper house with a maximum of 54 members.
The selection of MPs has not been without criticism. Earlier this month, the UN special representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, said “favours, bribes and intimidation” had been involved during the appointments, BBC notes.
