Somalia land president wins the first multilateral presidential elections
Somalia, Politics, 4/21/2003

It was announced on Saturday that the President of the Land of Somalia, Taher Reyali Kahen, has won in the first multi party presidential elections organized in that "Pocket" which was split from Somalia.

Kahen had won with a majority of 80 votes over his nearest competitor. Kahen assumed presidency one year earlier following the death of his predecessor Muhammad Ibrahim Aqqal.

The elections committee in the land of Somalia said that Kahen received 42,08% of the votes in the election while his nearest rival Ahmad Muhammad Selanyo got 42,07%.

Kahen considered his win as historic. He extended thanks to the people of his country because they cast their votes in peace. He said that his government will give priority to development and to gaining international recognition.

Kahen, the leader of the democratic party vowed to collaborate with the opposition parties to develop the area which is inhabited by 3.5 million people.

The chairman of the elections committee Ahmad al-Haj Ahmad urged parties which lost the elections to accept the results.

The land of Somalia declared its independence in 1991 after toppling the Somali President Muhammad Seyad Berri and the dismembering of the central authority and the eruption of fighting among groups.

Conditions in the land of Somalia are considered relatively stable and the officials in this "pocket" of Somalia hope that holding of democratic elections will enable it to get the international recognition it misses.

UN observers supervised the presidential elections which took place on April 14. The parliament was used to choose former presidents of the land of Somalia.

Previous Stories:
  UN Security Council warns against the situation in Somalia   (4/2/2003)
  Six armed men kidnapped from Makadishu, Kenya detains one al-Qaida suspect   (3/20/2003)
  Somali government returns to reconciliation negotiations   (3/18/2003)
  Al-Sharq al-Awsat: Somalia withdraws from reconciliation conference in protest of Ethiopia, IGAD   (3/13/2003)
  Makadishu: massive demonstrations in support of the Somali unity   (11/2/2002)

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