Wednesday, September 05, 2012
The Somali Presidential Election Commission announced that it began receiving candidates' application materials on Monday (September 3rd), UN-funded Radio Bar-Kulan reported.
The application process will last until Thursday, said Osman Libah Ibrahim, spokesman for the commission. Presidential elections have been slated for September 10th.
The commission announced several criteria for presidential candidates at the weekend, including that they must be Muslim, at least 40 years old, without a criminal record and must pay a $10,000 registration fee.
The commission has since added a requirement that all candidates produce a Somali passport or birth certificate and finalised a requirement that candidates demonstrate the support of at least 20 members of parliament. Supporters' names will remain confidential, Ibrahim said.