Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Guled Hussein Qassim

No reason was given for the dismissal of Guled Hussein Qasim which was announced in a decree issued by the prime minister on Monday.

Mohamed Jama Mursal was appointed as his successor. Mr. Qasim’s held the post since early last year.

According to sources, Mr. Mursal, a close ally of the Kismayo-based Jubbaland administration leader Ahmed Madobe. His appointmentis parts of a process aimed at the formation of a strong political alliance by Somalia’s top leadership circle.

Mr. Madobe had recently also agreed to the power sharing arrangements proposed by Somali government after months of objections, shoring up Somali leaders’ proposal which secured the approval of the model of elections Somalia would hold from the country’s stakeholders.

The horn of Africa nation is preparing for presidential elections which would see the incumbent president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud facing dozens of candidates running for the country’s top seat mid this year.

According to Somalia’s Provisional Federal Constitution, adopted in 2012, the mandates of the Somali Federal Parliament and of the government would come to an end in August and September 2016, respectively.