Somali lawmakers call on president to resign 18 Nov 18, 2009 - 11:26:10 AM

Some lawmakers have called on the embattled President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed to resign over incompetence and making several foreign trips since his election.

The MPs who met in Mogadishu, accused the president of failing to stabilize the war-torn country, urging him to pave the way for the election of a new leader who can serve his people better.

“The president has went loggerheads with Puntland, the only state that is supporting his government and Ahlu-Sunnah group which backs him,” said Dahir Abdikadir Irro, one of Somali MPs.

Somalia’s president has recently refused to sign an accord, which his government entered with Puntland, after holding talks with Puntland President Abdirahman Mohammed Farole in Nairobi, Kenya.

Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke and President Farole inked the first phase of the accord on August 23 in central Somali town of Galkayo, which both agreed to share the resources in the country.

The first phase of the accord was reached on August 22 in Galkayo town where Somali government led by Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke met with Puntland government officials.

“If Sheikh Sharif fails to fulfil his duties, we think its best for him to step aside before parliament revokes his position,” said the lawmakers.

Ahlu-Sunnah Wal-Jamaa, a pro-government Islamic group that control large swathes of central and southern region, has on Tuesday threatened to take unspecified action against the Somali government over remarks made by President Sharif.

In an interview with BBC Somali Service, President Ahmed described the group as any another armed militia fighting in his war-torn country.

It is first time that Somali lawmakers have called on the embattled president to hand over the leadership.

Since his election in February in neighbouring Djibouti, President Sharif and other top government officials have been travelling across the globe, attending several high level meetings to discuss the situation in the war-torn but spend few weeks inside Somalia.