Following the outbreak of the civil war in 1991 that saw the ouster of the Siad Barre-led government, many of the few remaining political parties gave way to autonomous or semi-autonomous regional states, or fragmented into feuding militia groups.

[1] Though there has been no government that has controlled the entirety of the territory recognised as Somalia since the Somali Civil War, there have been democratic elections in Somaliland and Puntland.

[4] Unlike in previous years, the run-up to the election, which fell on Eid al-Adha, the capital, Mogadishu, was reportedly peaceful.

On 17 August, the first 215 MPs were appointed, while about 70 nominees were rejected for failing the criteria to serve in parliament, which includes being Somali citizens of "sound mind," having a high school diploma and having no links to warlords or traces to "atrocities" during the civil war,[3] as well as in accordance with the Galkayo and Garowe Principles accords.

The TSC also based its screening procedure on detailed background information on the parliamentary candidates that was forwarded to it by the UN and African Union.

[13][14] The agreement also entails Somalia's four main[vague] clan families – the Darod, Dir, Hawiye and Rahanweyn – naming 30 members to the elders for nomination and 15 others suggested by a coalition of minority groups[3] in what was called the four-and-a-half power sharing formula.

Though it received praise as initiating some kind of permanent structures, it was also criticised as unfair with voting tied to clans and sub-clans in accordance with birth.

[3] As UN Special Representative Augustine Mahiga said that "this historic moment marks the long-awaited end of the transitional period in Somalia.

[17] Though this was the first election in decades to feature campaigning, some unnamed yet attributed as leading candidates said they were keeping a low profile due to the tenuous security situation.

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Godah Barre stated that the election would be held in two weeks' time, with a definite date expected to be announced.

[19] At a press conference on 1 September 2012, the electoral commission released a ten-point set of criteria against which all prospective candidates for president would be screened.

[17] Members of Parliament marked their ballot papers behind a curtain before casting them in a clear box in front of foreign envoys and hundreds of Somali men and women, with the election broadcast live on television.

[24] United Arab Emirates – President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cabled a message of congratulations to Somalia's new head of state, as did the UAE's Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as well as the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

[24] United States – White House Press Secretary Jay Carney congratulated Hassan on his victory as well as "the Somali people for completing this momentous political transition".