Bartamaha (Sirta):- Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed will name new prime minister after returning from the current Afro-Arab summit in Libya which he is attending, a statement from the Presidency confirmed Friday.
The former Somali Prime Minister, Omar Abdelrashid Ali Sharmarkeh, late last month, announced his resignation following months of growing rift with the Somali President.
Somali President has since been carrying out wide consultations with various government, community and religious leaders in the country and was expected to announce his choice for the premiership next week.
“President Sharif has just wrapped up his consultation with his senior advisors and Somali MPs and will name a new Prime Minister right after he returns from the Afro-Arab summit,” the statement said.
A number of prominent political figures in Somalia have been tipped as possible candidates. The new premier is expected to hail from the northeastern semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland.
The transitional government was formed following the Djibouti reconciliation talks resulted in the election of the moderate Islamist-leaning Sharif Sheikh Ahmed as the President in early 2009 but the radical opposition groups refused to accept and have been fighting the government since.
Islamist groups, who control much of south and center of Somalia , have been carrying out deadly insurgency against the government which under the protection of 6,000 African Union peacekeeping troops run only few parts of the restive capital.
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Source:- People’s Daily Online
