Friday, August 31, 2012
The election for Somalia's next president has been set for September 10.
The vote by Somali lawmakers will be the next major step in a U.N.-backed plan to create a strong central government for the war-ravaged country.
Some 60 people have indicated they will run for president, including the incumbent, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
The parliament committee organizing the vote says it will accept applications from candidates beginning September 3. A reporter for VOA Somali Service in Mogadishu says the committee is due on Saturday to announce conditions for the candidates.
Somalia's new parliament took office on August 20, ending an eight-year transitional government that was plagued by infighting and ineffectiveness.
The Horn of Africa nation has endured more than two decades of instability and unrest since warlords overthrew President Mohamed Said Barre in 1991.
Allegations of corruption and intimidation have marred the ongoing process to build the new government.