Monday, September 01, 2008
BAIDOA, Somalia (AFP) — Somalia's Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein survived a no-confidence vote on Monday after he received a majority backing from lawmakers.
Only seven of the 200 MPs present in parliament voted to oust Hussein, who had been accused by some lawmakers of embezzling state funds, parliament speaker Aden Mohamed Nur announced. Two members abstained.
But lawmaker Ali Abdullahi Osoble, who campaigned for Hassan's removal, said the procedure was flawed because MPs were not allowed to contribute to the motion before voting.
"The whole plan was in favour of the Hussein government," he said.
Hussein and President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed last week signed an agreement to end months of infighting that undermined the fragile interim government, but they were jeered in parliament as they attempted to outline its details.
Conflict in Somalia and power struggles that erupted after the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre have scuppered numerous initiatives to restore national stability.
SOURCE: AFP, September 1, 2008