MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2021) Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo announced that he had suspended the executive powers of the country's prime minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble, as tensions escalated between the two ahead of the upcoming election, local news reported, citing the presidential office.
The president has reportedly barred Roble from appointing or dismissing officials to prevent him from derailing the elections. Farmajo further accused the prime minister of making hasty decisions and refusing to cooperate with the president, according to the official statement posted by the presidential Villa Somlia, cited by the Garowe news portal.
Farmajo said that Roble's actions can lead Somalia to political turmoil and alleged that the prime minister has overstepped his responsibilities, which mainly involve preparations for the election and steering the government transition, the news noted.
The decision came following two weeks of mounting tensions between the president and prime minister. Earlier in September, Farmajo dismissed the head of the national security agency, Fahad Yasin, over the murder of an intelligence agent, attributed to the militant group al-Shabaab (terrorist entity affiliated with al-Qaeda, both banned in Russia). Roble opposed the move, calling it unconstitutional.
Somalia has been struggling to end an Islamist insurgency and hold a presidential election. Farmajo previously attempted to extend his term after it ended in February without conducting polls, triggering street clashes in spring. The election has been further delayed due to the row between the president and the prime minister.
