Somali Parliament Backs Prime Minister
Somali PM Nur Hassan Hussein
Somalia's parliament has given Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein a strong vote of confidence, a day after the president said he was firing him.
In a special session Monday, lawmakers voted 143 to 20 with seven abstentions to keep Mr. Hussein in office.
There was no immediate reaction from President Abdullahi Yusuf, who told VOA Somali service on Sunday that he would abide by parliament's decision.
Earlier Sunday, the president accused Mr. Hussein and his ministers of corruption, inefficiency, and treason.
The power struggle raises new questions about the future of the Somali government as it struggles with a rising Islamist insurgency.
In a statement, African Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping says the dispute could undermine efforts to stabilize Somalia and establish peace.
The government recently reached a peace deal with a moderate Islamist group, the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia. But hardline Islamists rejected the deal and have continued taking over towns in the country's center and south.
On Sunday, a spokesman for the leading insurgent group al-Shabab told reporters his group wants to impose Islamic law in Somalia, and will never accept a power-sharing deal.
Fighting over the last two years, involving Ethiopian-backed government forces and a variety of Islamist groups, has killed thousands of Somalis and displaced at least a million others.
Ethiopia has said it will pull its troops within a few weeks.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
Somalia's parliament has given Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein a strong vote of confidence, a day after the president said he was firing him.In a special session Monday, lawmakers voted 143 to 20 with seven abstentions to keep Mr. Hussein in office.There was no immediate reaction from President Abdullahi Yusuf, who told VOA Somali service on Sunday that he would abide by parliament's decision.Earlier Sunday, the president accused Mr. Hussein and his ministers of corruption, inefficiency, and treason.The power struggle raises new questions about the future of the Somali government as it struggles with a rising Islamist insurgency.In a statement, African Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping says the dispute could undermine efforts to stabilize Somalia and establish peace.The government recently reached a peace deal with a moderate Islamist group, the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia. But hardline Islamists rejected the deal and have continued taking over towns in the country's center and south.On Sunday, a spokesman for the leading insurgent group al-Shabab told reporters his group wants to impose Islamic law in Somalia, and will never accept a power-sharing deal.Fighting over the last two years, involving Ethiopian-backed government forces and a variety of Islamist groups, has killed thousands of Somalis and displaced at least a million others.Ethiopia has said it will pull its troops within a few weeks.
Somalia's  overwhelmingly voted Monday to keep  as their prime minister, blocking President 's attempt at dismissing the prime minister and his "corrupt, inefficient" government.

President Yusuf announced his motion to dismiss Hussein on Sunday, saying his government was "unable to perform its duties" in matters such as dealing with the Islamic militants who have taken over most of the country. The latest dispute between the two involved efforts to reconcile with the  (ARS), the country's main opposition group. The UN-sponsored peace process has been decried by Yusuf as dealing with terrorists.

Hussein countered that the president had no authority to strip the prime minister of his post, and that the transitional federal charter required the approval of parliament for such an action. "The president was speaking in his usual personal capacity, contrary to the rules and regulations," Hussein said prior to the special parliamentary session in .

Despite Yusuf's hope that the parliament would endorse his decision, members of parliament were strongly supportive of Hussein's government, with 143 members recognizing the government's legitimacy, 20 rejecting its legitimacy and 7 abstaining. "Therefore the government of Hassan Hussein is legitimate," said , the parliamentary speaker.

Hussein, whom Yusuf appointed little more than a year ago after the resignation of , had previously survived a  in September, when he faced accusations of embezzling state funds. 

"The only obstacle in front of my government was the president," Hussein told members of parliament after the vote, "and since I have the confidence of the MPs I hope it will be effective henceforth." Yusuf had no immediate comment on the vote, but he had previously stated he would comply with parliament's decision if they chose to block his dismissal.

The relationship between the president and prime minister has grown increasingly strained over the issue of Islamic militancy. Yusuf has blamed the prime minister for the instability plaguing the politically fragile state, while Hussein has accused the president of trying to "sabotage" peace efforts between the transitional government and the ARS. Fighting between the Islamic opposition and Somali-backed troops from Ethiopia, the African Union, and the UN has killed thousands of Somalis and displaced millions.

, chairman of the , said the dispute within the transitional government has the potential of undermining efforts for "further reconciliation, peace, and stability in Somalia." The UN also issued a statement condemning the dispute, and demonstrators gathered in the streets of Mogadishu to denounce the president's move.

Although moderate Islamists from the ARS have agreed to enter into reconciliation talks, hardliner insurgents have rejected the attempts at peace and continue to take over towns in the central and northern regions of Somalia. Since the fall of the , organizations like Al-Shabaab have become leading insurgent groups. A spokesman for Al-Shabaab told reporters on Sunday that they intend to impose Sharia law on all of Somalia, and that a peace deal would never be accepted.