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                   Somalia Parliament Votes for New President

   by VOA News

   Somalia's parliament has started selecting a new president, the final
   step in a plan to create a more effective government and end two
   decades of chaos and instability.
   The recently formed parliament began the secret ballot vote Monday at a
   police academy in the capital, Mogadishu.
   There are 22 candidates vying for the top post, including the incumbent
   president and prime minister.
   ''Two-hundred-sixty-two lawmakers are present for the vote. A candidate
   needs a two-thirds majority to win in the first round. Otherwise, the
   top four candidates advance to a second round. If no one wins the
   second round, the top two candidates move to a third round, where a
   simple majority is needed to win.
   The United Nations has described the election as "historic." But
   critics say it will do little more than reshuffle key figures and
   positions.
   The vote for a new president is part of a U.N.-backed plan to bring a
   stronger, more permanent government to a country that has not had a
   stable central government since 1991.
   A U.N.-backed transitional government came to an end last month, eight
   years after it was created. The government never asserted authority,
   mainly because of infighting and Somalia's chronic violence.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/somalia_parliament_votes_for_new_pres
   ident/1505008.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/somalia_parliament_votes_for_new_president/1505008.html