Somali parliament removes PM in no confidence vote

The Somali parliament ousted on Saturday Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre after a vote of no confidence, Reuters reported.

Parliament Speaker Mohamed Mursal Sheikh Abdurahman said: “The government has failed in its promise on the preparation of a clear plan for the one man, one vote election,” in reference to the first direct election since civil war erupted in 1991.

A struggle over power between Khayre and President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has recently escalated over the date to hold the country’s general elections in its new form.

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While Khayre insisted on holding the elections in February 2021 as scheduled, the president wanted to postpone them.

President Mohamed’s office announced in a statement issued later that the Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed Guled had been tasked to carry out the prime minister’s duties.

The president’s allies have also accused Khayre of failing to deal with the security issue in the country.

For the past decade, elections in Somalia have been taking place through representatives like tribal elders due to insecurity caused by Al-Shabaab militants.