“At the moment As Somalia
is again at critical juncture, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud needs to rise to
more vehement responsibilities and leave polarizing agendas aside for the
urgently pressing issues at hand”.
Somalia Prime
Minister-a career diplomat and former envoy to the United States- Omar
Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke formed controversial cabinet with President Mohamud’s
allies at the forefront on January 12. Among the key aides in the cabinet were
Justice Minister Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, Minister for Interior Abdikarin
Hussein Guled, National Security Minister Abdullahi Mohamed Ali (Sanbaloshe)
and Finance Minister Hussein Abdi Halane.
The four are
strongly counted amongst the powers behind the throne who co-manage day-to-day
activities with Mohamud at the heavily fortified compound of Villa Somalia.
Overwhelming
majority of MPs voiced opposition to the ministerial portfolios conferred to
Abdulkadir, Guled, Sanbaloshe and Halane, exemplifying a move that dealt blow
to the strategies devised by the President ahead of 2016 elections.
Moot Point
As a result
of stiff resistance from MPs-mainly those who backed predecessor Abdiweli
Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed during the latest impasse-Prime Minister Sharkmarke
dissolved 59-member cabinet and requested two weeks more for review into the
lineup last Saturday.
The four
remain challenging moot point in Somalia’s political arena but it seems that
the president himself is in full force campaign to replace them with other
henchmen who could side with him in the face of another infighting.
Somalia is
on the path to fragile recovery, yet President Mohamud and his allies are
posing challenge to the country’s timetable towards first-ever democratic
elections in 46 years by 2016.
Meanwhile,
International community partners whose financial support is key to the plans
going into overdrive are extremely dissatisfied with what is going on in
Mogadishu where Al Shabaab terror group targets government officials and
foreigners in broad day light attacks.
If truth be
told, there are formidable tasks to be fast-tracked over the coming months but
will Somalia meet 2016 benchmarks? Such questions have been matters in
controversy at public places and lots of Somalis like me are as of today
skeptical towards policies in the doldrums.
President
Mohamud won’t be able to translate the key targets of vision2016 into action
since he is waiting for faces of the forthcoming cabinet with bated breath.
Taking
sticking issues into account, the recent dissolution meant many things to
Mohamud as it was apparently a relapse into watershed moments that were
experienced during the transitional period as well as over the course of his
tenure of office.
Neither
group is really willing to come up with political cohesion, however
opportunities need to be seized skillfully sooner than later. Well, the last
resort backfired and it means that Prime Minister reached point of no return
and the President for the second time must should consolidate his grip on power
before things get out of hand.
What’s next for Mohamud?
After the
cabinet dissolution, obviously many questions beset the President over how can
you get the show on the road and appease donors?
Mogadishu-based
central government has not set up Electoral Commission much less push ahead
with the registration of political associations and voters.
At the
moment As Somalia is at critical juncture, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
needs to rise to more vehement responsibilities and leave polarizing agendas
aside for the urgently pressing issues at hand. Of course Abdulkadir will
return to a ministerial post as State Minister for Presidency but the three
others are likely to stay influential as has been the case.
Before
anything else, Mohamud is expected to abandon exerting influence over the tried
and trusted head of government and lay confidence in the work of the choices in
the next cabinet.
Somalia
can’t afford disunity figure and 275-seat-chamber of parliament in political
bang but instead it is keen on more compromising politicians.
This article originally appeared on Garowe Online
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