Why Somali Presidents clash with their Prime Ministers – ANALYSIS
The rift between the two top officeholders in Somalia , President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed could lead a serious blow to the credibility of the Federal Government of Somalia , urgent task of state-building. As well as the infighting could lead to the collapse of this government.
Somalia’s president has asked cabinet ministers who were recently reshuffled by the prime minister to ignore the order in what appears to be a widening rift between the two top leaders of the country which is struggling to rebuild itself after decades of war.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud late Saturday told the Justice minister and the Animal Husbandry minister who had been ordered to swap places on Friday by the premier not to take up their new appointments.
In November 2013, President Mohamud asked Prime Minister Shirdon to resign from office on the grounds that Shirdon was allegedly ineffective in the job. Mohamud was reportedly acting on the advice of the State Minister for Presidency, Farah Abdulkadir.
Also, the current disagreement sparked after Farah Abdikadir , Minister of Justice and a key alley of the president being shifted to the ministry of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry .
“The rift is based on grouping rather than political “ said Abdirahman Mohamed , a political analyst in Mogadishu.
The President is believed having an ally in the cabinet of the ministers mainly originated from “The new blood” known as Damu-jadid consisting of members Al Islah , a moderate religious group .
“These group dominated high government offices including the Presidential Palace whose staff mainly contain Damu-Jadid” Abdirahman.
The Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed has undertaken on Saturday the long anticipated first cabinet reshuffle of his tenure , described as targeting President’s allies and response from the president was hard-boiled referring the reshuffle as “void and null”.
It is the second rift between President Hassan and Prime Minister although Somalia as a long history of the presidents and their Prime Ministers since the Interim govrnment led by Abdikazim Salad whose then Prime Minister Ali Kkalif rseigned , followed by President Abdulahi Yusuf and his Prime Minister Nur Adde and Ghedi, also President Sheikh Sharif and his Prime Minister Mohamed Adulahi Farmajo.
The question asked by many people is , Why Somali Presidents clash with their Prime Ministers ?.
Some politicians say that these disagreements main roots is the constitution which does not clearly define or doesn’t seperate the responsibilities of president and prime minister , who is who to do what and how .
“We are fed up of this dispute and it is one of the main obstacles facing Somalia need to be solved constitutionally” said Mohamed Omer, a lawmaker in Mogadishu.
“The authorities should remain focused on peace, and we hope that they would be able to change their minds and avoid nepotism “ Mohamed Abdulle , a Somali scholar in Mogadishu speaking to Somalireport24.com.
