This archive report was first published on 9 September 2021.
September 9, 2021
President Mohamed Farmaajo of Somalia has overturned a major decision made by Prime Minister Hussein Roble, further escalating the power struggle between the two leaders.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Roble announced that he had appointed Abdullahi Mohamed Nur, a member of the outgoing parliament, to replace Internal Security Minister Hassan Hundubey.
However, President Farmaajo later stated that the prime minister has no powers to make such a decision, citing Article 90, point (e) of the Provisional Constitution.
“Based on Article 90, point (e) of the Provisional Constitution, the powers of the president include ‘the firing of the ministers, state ministers and the deputy ministers upon proposal from the prime minister,’” Farmaajo’s statement said.
No appointment or dismissals of the cabinet members are workable until all constitutional means are exhausted, the president added.
The power struggle between President Farmaajo and Prime Minister Roble has been ongoing, with the two leaders having different views on the role of the prime minister in the government.
Earlier in the week, President Farmaajo overturned an order by the PM to suspend then intelligence chief Fahad Yasin, who has been at the center of a controversy surrounding the disappearance of an intelligence agent.
