Former PM joins presidential race in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Former Somalia Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has formally joined the presidential race, in a dramatic political decision that could change the country's internal politics, given his deep local and international networks, which saw him excel in negotiating for debt relief among other development issues.

On his Twitter account, Khaire made the announcement on Saturday, arguing that he will "fix this country" and give the entire population "desired hope" which they have been yearning for. He said his decision was "well calculated and for the interest of Somali people".

Khaire made the announcement 50 days after MPs hounded him from office, following a pre-election standoff between the Federal Government of Somalia and member states. While Khaire was pushing for early elections just like the FMS leaders, his boss, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo was lukewarm in the entire process.

And moments after Dhusamareb II talks over the quagmire, Khaire was sacked, a move which triggered international condemnation. To date, Farmajo is yet to get a substantive replacement of Khaire, despite promising to ensure that an appointment is done "soonest".

The ex-oil executive and aid worker was appointed as PM in Feb 2017, a position which he held for many days compared to any of his predecessors. Most holders of the office quit the government within a short period due to disagreements with appointing authorities, and the current president falls in that category.

After his removal, sources had told Garowe Online that his removal was engineered by plans to contest against Farmajo, but the president squarely blamed the decision on parliament. He has been holding several meetings with advisors ever since leaving office in July with reports indicating that he has been operating from Nairobi.

Sources say that he will unveil his party of choice soon but it's not clear if he will work closely with the opposition. The opposition team protested against his removal, accusing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo of working with certain institutions to have the upcoming elections delayed.

The race to State House has attracted a number of people but the Forum for National Parties [FNP], a conglomerate of six opposition parties, is one of the most organized outfits in Somalia. The party, which is steered by former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, had hinted of fielding one candidate.

Also in the race is Abdishakur Warsame, the current opposition leader, who has been leading the Wadajir party. Khaire becomes the third major candidate for elections, which are scheduled for this November, but a clear date is yet to be set due to ongoing talks in Mogadishu, bringing together several stakeholders.

Abdulmalik Abdullahi, an analyst on the Horn of Africa affairs, says that it's too early to underestimate or overestimate Khaire, but insists that there are several questions which his politburo team should have asked before formally joining the race, which could be the most followed Somali election.

"Inside teams of the former PM operating from Mogadishu and Nairobi running his preliminary campaign. Too early to under or overestimate him," said Abdullahi, who has been giving a critical analysis of Somali politics in many years now.

"Questions to ask vis-à-vis the candidature of Khaire: Will he become the least appealing candidate due to his political conduct or a beneficiary of "sympathy" votes? Does he have any political friends? Can he really counter the many political nemeses he created for himself?" he questioned.

GAROWE ONLINE