Transitional Federal Parliament
The Transitional Federal Parliament is an interim parliament of Somalia formed in neighbouring Kenya in 2004. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was appointed president of Somalia by the parliament in 2004.
The Transitional Federal Parliament has 275 members, with each of Somalia's four major clans getting 61 seats in the parliament, while an alliance of minority clans was awarded 31 seats. De facto the state is in anomie with only loose governmental structures.
On February 26, 2006 the parliament first met inside Somalia. The session was held in Baidoa in southern Somalia. 210 lawmakers of the 275-member parliament met in a grain warehouse temporarily converted into a meeting hall.[1]
Sackings
In June 2006, Ghedi sacked four ministers who ignored his orders to stop fighting the Supreme Islamic Courts Council. They were:
* National Security Minister Mohamed Afrah Qanyare
* Commerce Minister Musa Sudi Yalahow
* Militia Rehabilitation Minister Issa Botan Alin and
* Religious Affairs Minister Omar Muhamoud Finnish [2]
Resignations
Following the success of the Supreme Islamic Courts Council in taking Mogadishu, and the alleged entry of Ethiopian troops into Somalia, members of the transitional government started to resign. Before the resignations started, the government consisted of 42 full minsters and a further 60 assistant ministers. The government would have to resign if more than 50% - 22 - of the full ministers resigned.
On July 27, 2006 18 members resigned including the Public Works Minister Osman Ali Atto, who said "Our government failed to implement national reconciliation, so we have decided to resign."
Ghedi survived a no-confidence vote on 30 July when his opponents failed to obtain the two-thirds majority required to dismiss him.
On August 1 eight more ministers resigned in protest at Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi's postponement of talks with the Islamic Court. Fisheries Minister Hassan Abshir Farah said "We had no option but to resign because we believe if the talks are postponed again it will affect the reconciliation efforts" [3]
By August 2, twenty-nine ministers had resigned including eleven full ministers. [4]
By August 3 the tally had reached 36, including former Prime Minister and Health Minister Muhammad Abdi Yusuf, who complained that "Our government is a reconciliation government, the prime minister has failed to honor that" [5]
By August 4, forty cabinet members and 16 full ministers had quit, including Reconstruction Minister Barre Shire Adan who said "I have resigned because the government of Ali Mohammed Ghedi has failed to deliver" [6]
On Monday August 7 the three top TFG leaders - Prime Minister Ghedi, President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden reportedly reached an agreement on talks with the Islamic Militia and the formation of a new givernment. The President announced the dissolution of the present cabinet and Ghedi was asked to propose a new cabinet, with only 31 full ministers, within a week. [7]
New Cabinet
On August 21 Prime Minister Gedi appointed a new reduced cabinet of 31 ministers. [8]. It included new Ministers for national security, defence, finance and foreign-affairs but retained former warlord Hussein Mohamed Aidid as Interior Minister. 44 deputy ministers will also be appointed in the coming days. The Assembly was due to vote on approving the cabinet on 2006-08-26 but this vote was delayed amid fears that the new government wouldn't be approved. [9]
The Transitional Federal Parliament has 275 members, with each of Somalia's four major clans getting 61 seats in the parliament, while an alliance of minority clans was awarded 31 seats. De facto the state is in anomie with only loose governmental structures.
On February 26, 2006 the parliament first met inside Somalia. The session was held in Baidoa in southern Somalia. 210 lawmakers of the 275-member parliament met in a grain warehouse temporarily converted into a meeting hall.[1]
Sackings
In June 2006, Ghedi sacked four ministers who ignored his orders to stop fighting the Supreme Islamic Courts Council. They were:
* National Security Minister Mohamed Afrah Qanyare
* Commerce Minister Musa Sudi Yalahow
* Militia Rehabilitation Minister Issa Botan Alin and
* Religious Affairs Minister Omar Muhamoud Finnish [2]
Resignations
Following the success of the Supreme Islamic Courts Council in taking Mogadishu, and the alleged entry of Ethiopian troops into Somalia, members of the transitional government started to resign. Before the resignations started, the government consisted of 42 full minsters and a further 60 assistant ministers. The government would have to resign if more than 50% - 22 - of the full ministers resigned.
On July 27, 2006 18 members resigned including the Public Works Minister Osman Ali Atto, who said "Our government failed to implement national reconciliation, so we have decided to resign."
Ghedi survived a no-confidence vote on 30 July when his opponents failed to obtain the two-thirds majority required to dismiss him.
On August 1 eight more ministers resigned in protest at Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi's postponement of talks with the Islamic Court. Fisheries Minister Hassan Abshir Farah said "We had no option but to resign because we believe if the talks are postponed again it will affect the reconciliation efforts" [3]
By August 2, twenty-nine ministers had resigned including eleven full ministers. [4]
By August 3 the tally had reached 36, including former Prime Minister and Health Minister Muhammad Abdi Yusuf, who complained that "Our government is a reconciliation government, the prime minister has failed to honor that" [5]
By August 4, forty cabinet members and 16 full ministers had quit, including Reconstruction Minister Barre Shire Adan who said "I have resigned because the government of Ali Mohammed Ghedi has failed to deliver" [6]
On Monday August 7 the three top TFG leaders - Prime Minister Ghedi, President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden reportedly reached an agreement on talks with the Islamic Militia and the formation of a new givernment. The President announced the dissolution of the present cabinet and Ghedi was asked to propose a new cabinet, with only 31 full ministers, within a week. [7]
New Cabinet
On August 21 Prime Minister Gedi appointed a new reduced cabinet of 31 ministers. [8]. It included new Ministers for national security, defence, finance and foreign-affairs but retained former warlord Hussein Mohamed Aidid as Interior Minister. 44 deputy ministers will also be appointed in the coming days. The Assembly was due to vote on approving the cabinet on 2006-08-26 but this vote was delayed amid fears that the new government wouldn't be approved. [9]
