Tough task ahead

On Thursday, Somalis took to the streets of Mogadishu to celebrate the election of new president Abdullahi Mohamed nicknamed “Farmajo” (Italian for Cheese). The controversial election process has finally led to the defeated of the incumbent, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the first internationally accepted president of war-torn Somalia by a man who is perhaps one of the least favorite candidates for the position before the election. Apparently, “Farmajo” is the people’s choice and is celebrated for his anti-corruption stance during his eight-month tenure as Prime Minister of the former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. Regardless, the new president is in for a world of struggle to get his country back on track after 26 years of lawlessness and fractured statehood. Even in the fight against corruption, one of his purported strong suits, “Farmajo” has a lot to accomplish. In fact, the election process which hailed “Farmajo” to the presidency is tainted with accusation of corruption. Reportedly, this was one of the most expensive elections in recent years with a lot of bribe paid to buy votes. Apart from that, getting the federalism system working, coming up with agreeable constitution and ensuring the security of Somalia are expected to on top of his priorities as he takes office in the coming days.