MOGADISHU, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The final round of Somalia's presidential election started between the Somalia incumbent president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and academic Hassan Sheikh Mohamaoud after the candidates that ranked the third and fourth in votes opted out.
According to the official tally announced by the parliament speaker, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed got 64 votes, Hassan Sheikh Mohamaoud obtained 60, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali had 30 and businessman Abdelkadir Osoble received 27.
A winning candidate must get two-third majority of the total membership of the Federal Parliament, but if no candidate gains the necessary two-thirds majority in the first round, a second round of voting shall be conducted for the four contenders with the greatest number of votes from the first round.
"If two of the four candidates from the first round do not opt out voluntarily as has been the case in previous elections, a second round of voting will be carried out in the same manner as the first with a two-thirds majority of the MPs' vote making a candidate the winner," said Mohamed Abdulle, a constitutional lawyer in Mogadishu.
If any of the four candidates fails to get the necessary two- thirds majority in the second round, a third and final round of voting will be held for the two candidates with the greatest number of votes from the second round, and the candidate who obtains the greatest number of votes in the third and final round will win the presidency of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the law expert said.
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