Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud on Wednesday appointed Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke as the country’s new Prime Minister, becoming the third Premier to serve under the President.
The move comes two weeks after former Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed was voted out of office by the Federal Parliament in a vote of no confidence, following a political wrangle between him and the President on cabinet reshuffling.
Omar Abdirashid, 54, was the former Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal government from 2009 to 2010 and currently was serving as Somalia’s ambassador to the United States, becoming the first envoy in 24 years to be named to the US.
He was forced to resign from Office after a dispute with the Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
The appointment of the new Prime Minister was announced in a ceremony held in the Mogadishu state house, attended by the country’s top officials and members of the Parliament.
‘’ I will focus on bringing back stability, security, and prosperity to all Somali people,’’ he said in a Press Conference.
Born in 1960, Sharmarke left Somalia to study political science and economy in at Canada’s Carlton University. He’s a dual Somali and Canadian citizen.
Sharmarke’s father, Abdirashid Ali, was Somalia’s second president since independence. He was assassinated in 1969, an event that introduced a 20-year-long military dictatorship.
Mr Sharmarke has 30 days to appoint a new cabinet, which will have to be approved by parliament.
However, President Mohamud hopes the appointment of Omar Abdirashid will bring weeks of political uncertainties to an end and foster the government’s 2016 vision which is mainly democratic and peaceful elections, which many analysts believe that it won’t be implemented due to political circumstances.
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