Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has officially announced that he will run for president. He is expected to run against incumbent President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed who has expressed his intentions to run for reelection.
President Ahmed has been the target of criticism from the international community for corruption. According to independent Somali news agency Raxanreeb, Ali addressed hundreds of supporters in Mogadishu saying, “If you appreciate all the hard work and the national obligations done by my government then you will be giving me your votes.”
He also added,“Before a year no one could dare to hold presidential campaign in Mogadishu or even no one could walk freely in the streets of this capital; one of the major success of my government.”The Somali transitional government is due to disband on 20 August. Ali is a dual citizen of Somalia and the United States. In June 2011 he was appointed Prime Minister of Somalia. Somalia’s Constituent Assembly has recently overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new constitution.
