Somalia: Jawari survives proposed no-confidence motion

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Speaker of the Lower House Chamber of Somalia's Federal Parliament, Mohamed Osman Jawari has narrowly survived a planned motion of no confidence against him, Garowe Online reports.

The motion, which becomes the most serious attempt yet to unseat the long-serving speaker has failed to get the constitutionally required number after 16 lawmakers out of the 107 signatures reversed their decision.

The proposed motion required 92 signatories to be presented to Parliament, according to the constitution.

The move has divided the House after MPs on Tuesday submitted the motion with their signatures to the first Deputy Speaker Abdiweli Ibrahim Mudey aiming to oust Jawari, who has fallen out with PM Hassan Ali Khaire.

The lawmakers accused the speaker of being an impediment in the constitutional review process and abusing power, suppressing opinions of the MPs in the House of the People, an accusation that Jawari denies as illegal.

Sources tell GO that some of the signatories of the motion are Federal Ministers and deputy ministers who are also members of the House of the People who are said to be close to the office of the Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire.

The lawmakers supporting Jawari are claiming great victory after the proposed motion aimed at voting out of the serving speaker has failed and said once lost motion cannot be resubmitted again until after six months.

The latest reports suggest that several  MPs who were previously said to have reversed their bid are now saying: "We will stick to our decision". 

Jawari has been running Lower House since August 2012.

Mudey who is close relative to Fahad Yasin, the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Palace held a late-night press conference in his residence, insisting that the no-confidence motion against Jawari is legal.

GAROWE ONLINE