US EMBASSY FINDS FAULT WITH WITHDRAWAL OF CONFIDENCE IN SOMALI PM

[Deeq A.]

Mogadishu (PPM) —  In a strongly worded statement the United States Embassy in Mogadishu described the resignation of PM Hassan A. Kheire as one fraught with irregularities.

“The U.S. Embassy regrets the actions of the President and Lower House of Parliament to withdraw confidence in Prime Minister Ali Hassan Khayre and his government, which heightened political tensions and undermined the ongoing process of dialogue and negotiation between the Federal Government of Somalia, Federal Member States, and other key stakeholders” reads the statement. In a tweet the United States Embassy used the word ‘spoiler” as in “ spoilers ≠ tolerated“ apparently aimed at the Presidency and the Parliament.

“The US Embassy interfered in the Somali political process by criticising the Somali Parliament and using words that tarnish  the integrity of Somali political leaders” said  Hassan Ali Yare, a retired civil servant.

Mohammed Mursal, the Speaker of the Somali Federal Parliament, cited a failure to prepare Somalia for one person, one vote elections as the main reason the Federal Government lost the Vote of Confidence yesterday.

The Federal Parliament insists on the primacy of the Electoral Law as opposed to the repeat of the 2017 Indirect Elections favoured by some Federal Member States.

The US Embassy in Somalia has long been viewed as being partial to leaders of the Federal Government of Somalia. Its change of stance this time round to imply the Presidency and the Federal Parliament are spoilers may earn Ambassador Donald Yamamoto few friends in Somali politics. “ It is absurd to argue our legislatures are independent when a foreign embassy harangues our MPs” said Aweys Mumin, an undergraduate student in Mogadishu.   Mohamud Dahir, a supporter of the umbrella of Somali opposition parties, begs to differ. “Donald Yamamoto has given the Federal Government a free reign by endorsing its policies. His call for consensus by stakeholders will not be taken seriously” Dahir told Puntland Post.

The US Embassy in Somalia stands accused of seeking to damage the credibility of the Somali Federal Parliament. Recently, Ambassador Yamamoto made a diplomatic gaffe when he told a Westpoint counterterrorism periodical that USA was a partner of Ethiopia when, in 2006,  the later invaded Somalia to overthrow the Union of Islamic Courts. “Yamamoto did not even mention the former Transitional Federal Government in whose defence Ethiopia partly justified its invasion in 2006” said Mumin.

© Puntland Post Monthly, 2020

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