Act For Somalia welcomes the appointment of H.E. Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke as his new Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia

Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, the former holder of the premiership
and Somalia’s ambassador to the United States, is a seasoned
politician and diplomat who held the post of Prime Minister from 2009
to 2010, when he resigned due to an ongoing feud between himself and
former President Sharif Ahmed. This personal experience of Somali
politics, at its highest levels, is what we are counting on to forge a
strong relationship between the offices of the PM and the President so
that there is never the kind of misunderstanding that lead to the
collapse of the last government a few weeks ago.

Somalia is in need of determined and purposeful leadership which is
able to spearhead the reforms required in all the priority areas to
achieve our national Vision 2016 goals of a democratic, peaceful and
federal state. The Somalia government and all its core actors have a
duty to their people and this should be the underlining basis for the
new relationship between the PM and President on route to the 2016. We
cannot work together can never again, until 2016 and beyond, be an
excuse for holding ransom the Somali people’s hopes and dreams.

2016 is around the corner and time is of the essence if any of the
important goals of Vision 2016 are to be realised. The dispute between
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the former Prime Minister
AbdiweliSheikh Ahmed which lead to the vote of no confidence by
Parliament on the part of the latter has no doubt slowed down our
national progress. It has alienated some of our key allies and has
caused concern in the Somali population and the international
community that the Somalia government may not be as committed it says
it is to achieving the mature politics required for peace and
progress. However, we hope the appointment of the seasoned Omar
Abdirashid will once again refocus the minds and energy of President
Hassan Sheikh’s administration in the right direction.

Bringing change to Somalia by any measure of the imagination is not
easy. All the Vision 2016 goals require patience, compromise,
negotiations and inclusive agreement and action. Knowing that the job
is as difficult as this in a post conflict tribal nation like Somalia,
we hope this new government will finally act in a unified manner in
the interest of its people.

The road ahead for Omar Abdirashid will not be easy. He still has to
be accepted by an angry parliament that contains the 80 plus MP’s
that supported his predecessor and is waiting to embarrass the
president. In this very Parliament are also those who fought with him
as a Prime Minister in the past and want to make his return even
harder. He has to deal with accusations of selling Somali maritime
territory to Kenya and there are open questions about his leadership
style. However, history will judge Somalia’s new PM on his efforts
in working with the President and how he leads his cabinet to deliver
for his people in 2016.

We wish H.E Omar Abdirashid, Somalia’s new Prime Minister, luck in
his journey and endeavours.

Act for Somalia

Bristol-UK
Www.Actforsomalia.com [1]
Twitter:@actforsomalia

Act for Somalia is Somali British advisory & Awareness raising Org
based in Bristol/UK with a Global Reach to promote Peace,Human
Rights,Democracy and Civic Engagement.