Auditor General’s independence in question as Bill empowers cabinet to hire and fire

Cabinet will have the powers to hire and fire the Auditor General according to a bill approved by Council of Ministers last week as the government seeks to entrench into law the office of the Auditor General.

While the bill notes the Auditor General shall be an independent office holder as dictated by article 114 of the Provisional Constitution, the procedure for hiring or firing the occupant of the country’s top audit office raises questions as to its independence.

Article 17 of the Auditor General Bill approved by Cabinet in Garowe last Thursday notes that the President shall appoint the Auditor General following approval and recommendation of the Cabinet in accordance with articles 90 (k) and 99 (g) of the Provisional Constitution.

Article 90 (k) empowers the President to appoint senior Federal Government officials and the heads of the Federal Government Institutions on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. Subsequently, article 99 (g) arrogates the council of ministers the powers and responsibility to ‘appoint and dismiss senior public officials’.

According to the Bill which now proceeds to Parliament for debate, the process through which the Cabinet arrives at a nominee is not clear exposing the process to possible abuse such as nomination of cronies, government sympathizers and may generally be beholden to political patronage.

The dismissal of the Auditor General shall follow the same procedures as that of hiring, article 19 of the Bill reads.

The bill absents citizen participation which in most cases is secured through parliamentary vetting and select national stakeholder groups.

The current Auditor General Mohamed Ali was appointed by President Mohamed Farmaajo last year.