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Somalia to delay president vote Somalia may delay president vote
(about 2 hours later)
Somalia's parliament is meeting to delay the election of a new president and decide on expanding the chamber. Somali lawmakers have voted to expand parliament and are to decide whether to delay electing a new president.
Lawmakers are set to extend Wednesday's deadline for choosing a new president, to allow contenders time to campaign. 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
Moderate Islamist opposition leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed announced his candidacy over the weekend. ARS leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed announced on Sunday he would contest the presidential election.
The Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) leader and Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein are seen as the two main presidential contenders. Mr Sharif and Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein are seen as the two main presidential contenders.
At least 16 candidates in total have declared an interest in succeeding President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. 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.He stood down last month after falling out with the prime minister over a UN-backed peace deal.
Lawmakers on Monday are expected to vote on a motion to delay the presidential vote and double the number of parliamentary seats from 275. Meeting in Djibouti due to insecurity at home, Somali legislators on Monday voted overwhelmingly to double the number of parliamentary seats from 275. Of the 220 MPs present, 211 voted in favour.
Following negotiations organised by the UN in Djibouti, members of the Transitional Federal Government agreed to include 200 new lawmakers from the ARS and 75 from civil society groups. Deadline looms
The UN special representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, urged the parliament to respect its deadline of Wednesday for choosing a new president, who in turn will appoint a new prime minister. Following UN-backed peace talks in Djibouti, members of the Transitional Federal Government agreed to include 200 new lawmakers from the ARS. They are expected to be sworn in this week.
Under the constitutional charter, a new Somali president should be chosen by parliament within 30 days of the resignation of the last one, who quit on 29 December. SOMALIA'S WOES 3m need food aid - a third of the population1m displacedGovernment only controls BaidoaIslamist groups control much of southern SomaliaNo effective government since 1991Piracy on the rise class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7760271.stm">Ethiopia's Somalia dilemma Another 75 new lawmakers from civil society groups are scheduled to join parliament at a later date.
But the BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says the parliament is unlikely to decide who should be the new president by then. 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.
Lawmakers meeting in Djibouti under a UN-hosted reconciliation process are expected to look for an extension of at least a week. 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.
Our correspondent says the prime minister and ARS leader must be seen as the two main contenders for the post in terms of popularity. 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.
He adds that if Mr Sharif wins the presidency, then Mr Hussein would not be able to remain as prime minister because they are from the same Hawiye clan and therefore cannot hold the top two government posts under Somali power-sharing rules. But the BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says the chamber is unlikely to decide who should be the new president by then.
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 peace talks. Our correspondent says the prime minister and ARS leader are the two leading candidates for the post in terms of popularity.
Suicide attacks warning
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 Hawiye clan and therefore cannot hold the top two government posts under Somali power-sharing rules.
The violence continued over the weekend with a suicide car bombThe 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.
The voting came as Ethiopia completed the withdrawal of its 3,000-strong force from Somalia, two years after entering the country to fight Islamist rebels.
Addis Ababa sent in the troops in 2006 but the intervention proved widely unpopular with Somalis and galvanised the insurgency, analysts say.
African Union (AU) peacekeepers, Somali government forces and some ARS fighters are taking up the positions vacated by the Ethiopians.
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.Somalia has not had an effective national government since 1991, since when various militias have been battling for control.