BAIDOA, Somalia Aug 29 (Garowe Online) - Many lawmakers in Somalia’s transitional federal parliament are pushing a motion to bring up a vote of confidence against interim Prime Minister Nur “Adde” Hassan Hussein, government sources tell Garowe Online.

On Thursday, Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf and the Prime Minister returned to the southwestern town of Baidoa, where parliament sits, and jointly addressed lawmakers about an agreement reached in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

President Yusuf was interrupted numerous times while he spoke, frustrating him until he threatened to "walk out."

The Somali leaders presented to lawmakers the agreement ending their weeks-long dispute, which began in July when Prime Minister Nur Adde fired Mogadishu Mayor Mohamed Dheere, a close ally of the President.

According to the agreement, elections will be held in Mogadishu to elect the Somali capital’s new mayor and regional governor.

Lawmakers who met with President Yusuf in Baidoa on Friday said they would pursue the confidence vote, although the Somali leader advised against it, according to insiders.

President Yusuf urged the MPs to await the outcome of the agreement and to avoid dragging the transitional government into a new round of political deadlock.

Dissatisfaction

Many MPs have expressed growing dissatisfaction with the new agreement, which was brokered by Ethiopian government officials in Addis Ababa.

MP Mohamed Osman Maye, a President Yusuf supporter, said: “This is not a correct agreement…I call on Ethiopia to stop interfering in our politics.”

Another MP, Abdulkadir Nur Arale who supports the Prime Minister, said: “Before speaking about the agreement, we must ask why the [Somalia’s] top leaders travel to Ethiopia.”

Asha Abdalla, a female MP who is a Yusuf supporter, told reporters that the agreement is “in [Ethiopian Prime Minister] Meles Zenawi’s interest,” adding: “Zenawi has said that he will withdraw his troops [from Somalia]. I say, withdraw [Ethiopian troops] and let loose the lions you [Zenawi] were defending us against.” [ READ: Ethiopian PM signals shift over Somalia]

Ousted

Mohamed Dheere, a former warlord, told the BBC Somali Service that he welcomes competitive regional elections and was ready to run for the office of Mogadishu mayor.

“If I lose the election, I will happily hand over authority to whoever the Somali people elect,” Mr. Dheere said.

He maintained that he will hold the post of Mogadishu mayor until the elections are held, but expressed frustration at an Ethiopian army commander’s decision to arrest a member of his staff.

Amina Muse, who worked for the local government’s tax division, was detained yesterday by Ethiopian soldiers while working at Mogadishu’s main port.

“Ethiopian soldiers entered the port illegally, entered her [Amina Muse] office, confiscated documents and forcefully took her to the house of the commander of Ethiopian forces deployed in Somalia,” Mr. Dheere said, without naming the commander.

He indicated that he will bring up an official complaint against the unnamed commander, whom he accused of “violating” the Islamic religion and Somali culture by taking an unwed woman to his home.

“Ethiopian troops are here to help the Somali government…therefore, they must uphold Somali laws and customs,” Mohamed Dheere said, adding: “I don’t recognize Ethiopian troops as the highest authority in the country [Somalia]. The country has a government and it is a Somali country.”

Mohamed Dheere has been a close ally of Addis Ababa for many years, but analysts say recent developments indicate that the Ethiopian government is distancing itself from the ex-warlord.

Source: Garowe Online