Parliament prevails as PM recalls cabinet
Mogadishu, Somalia (SOMALI AGENDA)-In an unprecedented move Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke has dismissed his newly unveiled cabinet before parliament had the chance to deliberate over it.
The cabinet which was officially announced on January 12th, has faced widespread opposition most notably from the parliament. The United Nation’s Special Representative for Somalia Nick Kay has privately joined the growing chorus against the nominated cabinet as shown in an internal email obtained by SOMALI AGENDA.
The parliament which opposed the inclusion of four key presidential allies in the cabinet made its opposition clear in series of public gatherings it organized in Mogadishu in the past few days. As the Saturday January 17th, the day set by the parliament to vote over the cabinet approached, the Prime Minister had no choice but to recall his cabinet and head back to the drawing board.
In a letter written to the parliament informing the legislature of his decision, the Prime Minister requested 14 additional days to remake his cabinet.
In a widening chasm between the Prime Minister and the President, Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke has requested a free hand in naming his new cabinet, a request which will likely anger the president. The shape of Somalia’s cabinet is critical as the country heads into the crucial election season of 2016 with many actors aiming to influence it.
The President’s inability to maneuver through the parliament in endorsing the cabinet is a worrying sign for Villa Somalia. In the past week, former allies of the President most notably former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fowzia Yusuf Haji Adan, outgoing Interior and Federal Affairs Minister Godah Barre and member of parliament Abdurehman Hosh Jibril have all joined opposition. They accuse the President of repeatedly breaking promises made to them.
