Somalia: Deposed Somali PM says government still exist 18 May 18, 2010 - 6:53:33 AM
The deposed Somali Prime Minister has said on Tuesday that would not step down even though President Sheikh Ahmed Sheikh Sharif announced that he will replace him and appoint a new premeier to form a fresh government.
Omar Abdirashid Sharma’arke said he will only step down after parliament passes a vote of no confidence in his cabinet, adding that the president has no authority to dismiss him.
“The government is formed in accordance with the constitution and the national charter,” said deposed Prime Minister. He continued, “Articles 44 and 51 of the constitution say that the government can only be dissolved through a vote of no confidence from the parliament. So no parliament has casted the vote against the government,”
He revealed that he met with president Sharif on Monday night to discuss the issue, adding that he his government is only waiting for the election of a new speaker to present a vote of confidence in the parliament.
“I met with President Sheikh Sharif yester night and I told him that I would not present my resignation…..when the parliament gets a new speaker, we will present motion on vote of confidence on my government as we agreed in today’s cabinet meeting,” he said.
The speaker of the parliament Sheikh Adan Mohammed Nur resigned on Monday.
The divided lawmakers met on Tuesday and declared that they have appointed a 15-member interim chair led by Haji Shukri Sheikh Ahmed who will oversee the election of a new speaker in the coming days.
We have agreed as a team from both sides that lawmaker Haji Shukri Sheikh Ahmed, w long serving fellow to lead the 15 member interim parliament chair until a new speaker is elected,” said lawmaker Hassan Abshir Farah.
The escalating woes between top Somali leaders have paralyzed the work of the UN-backed transition government, which is faced with a powerful insurgency that is threatening to unseat it and subject the country to a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia Law.
