US-backed regime in Somalia appoints Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon to head the government. Somalia has been focal point for Pentagon and CIA intervention for many years., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Somalia: Somali PM loses no-confidence vote
DECEMBER 2, 2013
Abdi Farah Shirdon voted out of office just over a year after assuming post amid disagreement with country's president.
By Hamze Mohamed
Somali MPs have voted the country’s prime minister, Abdi Farah Shirdon, out of office following a disagreement with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Announcing the result of the vote, speaker of parliament said on Monday that184 MPs out votes 250 present voted for the impeachment motion.
The disagreement was over the selection of members of the cabinet which was scheduled to be reshuffled.
The MPs had been debating the no-confidence motion against Shirdon for the last two days. More than 165 MPs had signed the motion, which was brought to parliament on Saturday.
Shirdon, a newcomer to politics like the president, held the prime minister’s post for just over one year.
Previous Somali governments have been plagued by infighting between presidents and prime ministers. Shirdon is the fifth prime minister in six years Somalia has had.
President Mohamud has not said when he will appoint a new prime minister who in turn will have appoint a new cabinet which will have to be approved by parliament.
Shortly before speaker of parliament announced the results of the motion, Shirdon held a press conference in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, where he said: “Some ministers in the cabinet are behind the current political instability. They think the prime minister could be easily ousted, so they could keep their positions.”
The weak UN-backed Somali government is fighting the armed rebel group al-Shabab which still controsl significant parts of the country.
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