Somalia's Prime Minister Resigns
Sep 23, 2010
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Prime Minister resigns in the midst of escalating violence
MOGADISHU---Somalia's prime minister has resigned amid allegations of corruption and incompetence linked to the nation's security as the Al-Shabaab extremist group stepped up their attacks against the weak Somali government.
"After considering the insecurity and political turmoil in the country I have decided to resign from my position as the prime minister of Somalia," Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, flanked by Somalia's president, told reporters last Tuesday after he submitted his resignation letter to the president.
"I am not able to work with the president, so today is the end of my tenure," he separately told lawmakers in the presidential palace.
Sharmarke, a dual Canadian and Somali citizen, had already come under pressure on security issues after rebel militants inflicted huge losses to the government and also on his management of aid money.
He was also accused of neglecting his duties and excessive foreign travel.
The latest rifts between the two leaders began after the president rejected the prime minister's proposal for a new draft constitution insisting that it go instead to the parliament for referendum.
"Sharmarke has gone and things will not change in the future," Abdullahi Hassan, a Somali political analyst at Mogadishu University told The Tiziano Project.
"We have experienced rifts between the past governments' presidents and their prime ministers and nothing has changed when the prime ministers resigned, so regarding this new event it's just another back and forth in the government and encouragement to the rebels," he added.
The horn of Africa nation has been without a central government since 1991 when clan militias and warlords overthrew the dictatorial regime of Siad Barre and then turned on each other plunging the nation into violence for more than 20 years.
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