By Aweys Yusuf
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Government sources said President Abdullahi Yusuf and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi met at the presidential palace in the capital Mogadishu after a row erupted over the weekend between judicial officials in a country mired in lawlessness since 1991.
Attorney General Abdullahi Dahir Barre, a Yusuf ally, ordered the arrest of Chief Justice Yusuf Ali Harun, a Gedi ally, over the weekend after accusing him of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Gedi in turned ordered Barre fired.
"I can only be fired by the judiciary council with the president's approval," Barre told Reuters. "The cabinet ministers have nothing to do with me."
Harun could not be reached for comment while in jail awaiting trial.
Gedi and Yusuf have had an uneasy relationship since they came to office when the government was formed in Kenya in late 2004, despite the fact that both have Ethiopia's backing.
On several occasions, the two have clashed over who has control of foreign aid and trade deals, the political direction of their interim government and lately, potentially lucrative oil exploration contracts.
Parliament met in Baidoa on Tuesday to discuss the Gedi-Yusuf rift.
"It is not possible that two or three people who have disagreements should have that impact on the whole general interest of the country," Deputy Parliament Speaker Mohamed Omar Dalha told Reuters.
He said the dispute had to follow Somalia's charter.
"I believe if everyone abides by the law, no conflicts will emerge but if the law is not respected it will be chaos," Dalha added.
Despite its fragility, many diplomats say the government has made the most progress of any in 14 attempts to establish national authority since Somalia sunk into to anarchy after dictator Mohamed Siad Barre's 1991 ouster.
The interim government, along with support from Ethiopian troops, defeated an Islamist group in December which had taken control of Mogadishu and parts of the country.
(Additional reporting by Abdi Sheikh)
Source: Reuters, Sept 25, 2007