Somali lawmakers vote for the country’s new president on May 15, marking the end of a long-delayed and controversial process. The Horn of Africa nation of 16 million has been struggling to achieve viable political stability after decades of civil war and violent insurgency that has spilled across its borders. Under the country’s indirect electoral process, clan elders select the 275 members of the lower house who – together with 54 upper house members nominated by regions – in turn choose the president. Mohammed Ibrahim Shire sets out the scene ahead of an important election.
