MOGADISHU: Somalia’s parliament removed Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire from his post in a vote of no confidence on Saturday for failing to pave the way towards fully democratic elections, the speaker said.

A whopping 170 of parliament’s 178 MPs backed the no confidence motion, and the ouster was immediately endorsed by President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who appointed Khaire as prime minister in February 2017.

The deputies had arrived at the National Assembly on Saturday to work on the organisation of the next national elections in 2021.

“After learning that the government had failed in its promise to prepare a clear plan that paves the way for one-person-one-vote elections in 2021...parliament undertook a vote of no confidence against the government and its prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire,” parliamentary speaker Mohamed Mursal told reporters.

“The president of the federal government of Somalia... will appoint a prime minister and a government which will pave the way for elections,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2020