Somalia's embattled president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is reportedly planning to appoint a new prime minister, Garowe Online has learnt.

In the list of president favorite nominees for the position are Minister for Higher Education and Heritage Mohamed Abdullahi Omar, Army General Ali Madobe and Mohammed Abdirisaq, who works at the UN Political Office for Somalia.

According to reliable sources in the presidential palace, President Ahmed is taking this drastic measure after once again going into disagreement with the current premier Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, who has vowed not bow to Ahmed’s request of relinquishing his position.

The Somali President announced last week that he was appointing a new the prime Minister after dissolving the government but the Premier defied orders to leave the office, saying the president has no constitutional mandate to do.

However, in a surprising twist of events,  two days later, President Ahmed rescinded decision after holding wide consultation with constitutional lawyers, MPs and other top government officials.

The power struggle within the transitional federal government has severely derailed the work of the fragile administration which is faced with the daunting task of retoring peace and security in a land that is almost controlled by powerful insurgent groups. 

Meanwhile, the interim Somali parliamentary election committee Tuesday announced May 27 as the official date for the election to replace the resigned parliament speaker Sheikh Adan Madobe.

So far, four contenders including Finance minister Sharif Hassan Sheikh Ahmed, lawmakers Abdi Hashi Abdullahi, Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail and Ahmed Abdullahi Hussein (Fanah) have submitted their papers to contest for the seat.

GAROWE ONLINE