Somalia prepares to choose a new president
JEDDAH, MAY 31, 2003 (ARAB NEWS)--The Somali tribes are preparing to elect the leader for the United Somalia Republic party, Abdul Nour Ahmad Dourman, as a president of the country in succession for the current President Abdi Qasem Salad Hassan whose term of office expires in July.

Dourman who has US citizenship returned back to Makadishu and announced he is carrying a new project for rebuilding and unifying Somalia. Before his return to Somalia, he made contact with several Arab leaders and officials in the USA.

In a press statement, Dourman stressed his determination to unify all lands of Somalia, noting that his policy to achieve this is represented in having a citizen referendum in which all Somalis can take part to determine the shape of the state.

The leader of the united Somali Republic party explained he had started internal consultations to arrange the process of assuming the authority. He rejected considering his pursuit to assume authority as a "peaceful coup," rather an attempt to fill the political vacuum in the country.

He said that everyone knows that the previous government was a provisional one and did not have enough of the confidence of the Somali leaders, noting the dangers of the current situation in Somalia.