Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Somali president appoints new prime minister



Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud appointed Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke as his new prime minister in a press conference held at Villa Somalia.

Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, the former holder of the premiership and Somalia's ambassador to the United States, held the post from 2009 to 2010, when he resigned due to an ongoing feud between himself and former President Sharif Ahmed.
The appointment comes after the previous Prime Minister, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, lost a vote of no-confidence in the Somali parliament on December 6 following a disagreement with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud over cabinet appointments.
If his appointment is confirmed by Somalia's parliament, Sharmarke, a Somali-born Canadian citizen, would become the country's third prime minister in 26 months.
Sharmarke, 54, has worked with the United Nations in Sudan and Sierra Leone, and earned a B.A. in political science and an M.A. in political economics from Carleton University in Ottawa.
On July 14, 2014, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke became Somalia's first ambassador to the United States in more than 20 years.
Sharmarke's father, Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, was Somalia’s prime minister and second president since independence. On October 15, 1969, President Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke was assassinated by his bodyguards, and a few days later on October 21, General Siad Barre seized power in a bloodless military coup.
Sharmarke has 30 days to appoint a new cabinet, which will have to be approved by parliament.
Source: Hiiraan Online

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