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Term Extended for Somali Parliament Amid Sharp International Criticism

   Peter Heinlein | Addis Ababa  January 31, 2011

   Somaliaâs  international  backers have extended the term of parliament
   beyond   August,   when   the   mandate  of  the  countryâs  embattled
   transitional  government  expires.  But it appears Somaliaâs president
   may be replaced.
   The  international  community on Monday handed down a harsh verdict on
   the  performance of Somaliaâs Transitional Federal Government, exactly
   two years after Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was chosen president.
   A  meeting  at  the AU summit site drew top officials of all the TFGâs
   main  backers.  U.N.  Secretary-General  Ban Ki-moon was there. So was
   African  Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping. Ethiopian Prime Minister
   Meles  Zenawi  attended  in  his  capacity as head of the East African
   regional  community  IGAD,  and  all  permanent  members  of  the U.N.
   Security Council were represented.
   The  U.S.  delegation  was  led  by the State Departmentâs number two,
   Deputy Secretary James Steinberg.
   The  meeting was closed, but a transcript of Pingâs remarks provided a
   stinging   rebuke   of   the  TFGâs  performance.  Ping  said  he  was
   disappointed that no significant progress has been made in stabilizing
   the  lawless country that has been without an effective government for
   20 years.
   A  communiqué  issued by IGAD praised the recent appointment of Prime
   Minister  Mohamed  Abdullahi Mohamed, and mentioned the need to extend
   the  mandate  of parliament. But on the subject of the presidency, the
   statement was vague. It said the remaining political dispensation will
   be handled by the people of Somalia.
   Diplomats  attending  the  meeting say that means Somalia's parliament
   must  decide  whether  to  elect  a  new  president and speaker of the
   assembly. They say lawmakers are likely to choose new leaders within a
   few months.
   Somaliaâs  Foreign  Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Omar told reporters the
   TFG accepted the international communityâs verdict of dissatisfaction.
   He says the harsh judgment should be seen as a call for renewed action
   to   adopt  a  constitution  and  stabilize  the  country  before  the
   governmentâs mandate expires in August.
   "The  issue  of  dissatisfaction may be what it is, but the issue is a
   practical  one.  And  we  are  looking  at  what needs to be done in a
   seven-month  period  which  comes to a conclusion in August and how we
   move across that," he said.
   Omar  said the international communityâs verdict is a call for Somalis
   to  take advantage of indications that foreign-backed extremist groups
   are losing their grip, and to establish a permanent government. "It is
   essential  that we put behind us the differences that in many respects
   are parochial in nature, and that we move on and grasp the opportunity
   that is presented today, and the period of six or seven months to come
   together  to  show  again that we can build a nation that can take its
   seat  alongside  other  nations  in peace and put aside the weapons of
   war," he said.
   Somaliaâs  last  central  government  collapsed  in 1991 when dictator
   Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown.
   President  Sharifâs  government  is  backed by an 8,000-strong African
   Union  peacekeeping  force  made  up  mostly  of Ugandan and Burundian
   troops.  The  U.N. Security Council last month approved an increase in
   AMISOMâs size to 12,000 troops.

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