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Islamist leader wins Somali presidency | International | Reuters

Islamist leader wins Somali presidency | International | Reuters: "Moderate Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed won the Somali presidency on Saturday in a parliamentary vote in Djibouti under a U.N.-brokered plan to broker a unity government for the conflict-torn nation.

Applause broke out among legislators when Ahmed passed the majority of votes needed, 213, just before 4 a.m. local time (0100) during a run-off vote in an all-night parliament session.

The Islamist, who headed the sharia courts movement that ruled Mogadishu and most of south Somalia in 2006 before an Ethiopian military intervention, defeated Maslah Mohamed Siad, son of ex-dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, in the second round of voting."

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