However, my take on how he has lost is the following: 1) all members of parliament were told to leave their phones outside the venue. This is because each member who took money from Sheikh Sharif was given half of the bribe and was supposed to take a picture with his/her phone and transmit it a copy of who he/she has voted to a center to verify in order for him/her to get the remaining half of the bribe money. The parliamentary committee was working for Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and was supposed to check each Member of Parliament casting the vote and once satisfied to inform the center to pay him/her the remaining bribe money. 2) The parliamentary election committee was derailed and frustrated by Speaker Prof. Mohamed Osman Jawaari when he has reassigned their duties and turning everything upside down. He asked Ahmed Muse Hassan to mix the votes and pick them up randomly, so the members of parliamentary to show only the results after the votes were caste during counting the votes, denying them for them see and to check whether or not a member of parliament has voted for Sheikh Sharif or not. 3) Mr. Jawaari has asked each member before casting his/her vote to come to his desk in order for him to sign and stamp the ballot paper to make it valid and also he has asked each member to put the ballot paper folded in the box without showing secretively to the parliament committee scouring votes for Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. 4) Mr. Jawaari, allowed outgoing Prime Minister Abdi-weli Mohamed Ali "Gaas” to make a speech which he was not supposed to do but leave the podium after announcing his withdrawal to thank the members of parliament for their support. Instead, Abdi-weli made a speech and urgued members of parliament to vote for change which meant ditch Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

However, the question is how the flag-bearer of TFG Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has failed to capture the presidency once again? Let me let you in on a secret. First, Dr. Abdi-weli Mohamed Ali "Gaas”, the outgoing prime minister has invited to a strategy dinner to Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Ambassador Abdullahi Ahmed Addow, Dr. Abdirahman Moallen Osman and Abdulkadir Ossoble to a strategy dinner meeting to defeat Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed at any cost. They agreed that only one candidate should go into the second round to stop Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and the rest to withdraw from the presidential race. Secondly, they agreed that, the candidate who receives most votes in the first round of votes should go into the second round and that they will rally behind him and support him to defeat the incumbent. Of course, this significant giving the defunct political alliance of Abgal-Majeerteen a major boost giving it a new face when Ambassador Abdullahi Ahmed Addow has joined them and also making the old political rivalry and political posturing between Abgal-Haber-gedir irrelevant and even absurd. But this profile was debunked by Abgal electing Dr. Abdi-Qassim Salad Hassan as president of Transitional National Government (TNG) at Arte, Djibouti. Therefore, Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud became the candidate who won the most votes in the first round and was neck-and-neck with Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed who has failed to receive two-third majority in order to become an outright winner.

Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has crashed out in the race because he has underestimated the strength of Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Abdulkadir Ossoble and Dr. Abirahman Moallen Osman of the same clan but instead focused his efforts on Dr. Abdi-weli Mohamed Ali "Gass” and Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo as main rivals and a serious challenge to his re-election. I am glad that Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has learned his lesson the hard way and know better, never to under estimate any opponent whether they are from your clan or not. In this regard, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has said, "I have never expected a bone in the liver” when conceding defeat in his speech. It was a vulgar expression, thoroughly unpleasant and bad choice of words for a defeated man who should have had made a more conciliatory tone in his approach to mend fences with different groups that he has rubbed the wrong way, especially Abgal and Mudulood. It was indeed regrettable, that Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed to make those disparaging utterances about Dr. Hassan Sheikh Ahmed, Abdulkadir Ossoble and Dr. Abdirahman Badiyow who got hundred and ten votes in the first round of votes which raises questions about his suitability to hold a public office in the future

However, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed sensed defeat after Dr. Mohamed Osman Jawaari; the New Speaker of Parliament took over the election process from the election committee furtively a move that eventually altered his political fortunes for the presidency. Thus, the Speaker did the following: 1) all members of parliament were told to leave their phones outside the venue. This is because each member who took money from Sheikh Sharif was given half of the bribe and was supposed after taking a picture with his/her phone to submit it to a center that will verify in order for him/her to get the remaining half of the bribe money. The parliamentary committee was working for Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and was supposed to check each Member of Parliament casting the vote and once satisfied to inform the center to pay up him/her the remaining bribe money. 2) The parliamentary election committee was short-changed by Speaker Prof. Mohamed Osman Jawaari when he reassigned their duties. He asked Gen. Ahmed Muse Hassan to mix the votes and pick it up randomly each vote casted, so the members of parliamentary election committee to show only the results after the votes were casted during counting, denying them to see or check to verify whether or not a member of parliament has voted for Sheikh Sharif or not. 3) The Speaker asked each member before casting his/her vote to come to his desk in order for him to sign and stamp the ballot to make it valid and also he has asked each member to put the ballot paper folded into the box without showing surreptitiously to the parliament committee scouring votes for Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. 4) The Speaker, allowed outgoing Prime Minister Dr. Abdi-weli Mohamed Ali "Gaas” to make a speech which he was not supposed to do it but simply withdraw and just leave the podium. Instead, Abdi-weli has made a speech and urged members of parliament to vote for change which they did.

In my view, Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud can't repair everything in four years and we will not be where we want to be but he can lay a strong foundation for the democratic process that has started in the country. In the meantime Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has lost deservedly the presidency irrespective of his ability to amass a massive wealth to buy the parliament, employing threats and intimidations if money didn’t work etc. He lost simply because all the Somali people irrespective of their clan were sick and tired of his reign of terror, incompetency, corruption and impunity and making greed a virtue. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, didn’t get this time was a very different time From Djibouti that he won the presidency with two hundred fifty votes in his pocket and "technically unopposed” but devoted his efforts while in office to suit his personal needs to manipulate the government and the system to carry the day and it was a time for him to go. For two years, I didn’t sleep well and pre-occupied about Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed but glad that my efforts have paid to see him defeated and leave office.


Dr. Abdi Mohamed Ulusso