Somali President Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed has set up a
special committee that would elect a new mayor of the capital, Mogadishu after sacking
the controversial former mayor Mohammed Dheere. The sacking of the divisive
mayor is generating controversy as many warlords are reportedly expressing
their disapproval of the sacking of Mohamed Dheere. The committee is expected
to organize what is being described as a consultative council, which is
expected to elect the mayor of Mogadishu as well as the governor of Banadir
region within 15 days.
The members
of the committee are, however, barred from standing for the election. Djibril
Ahmed is a Somali political analyst. He tells reporter Peter Clottey from the
capital, Mogadishu that the sacking of the mayor was unanimous.
"The latest development
today as you know, both the president and the prime minister announced new
commissioners to run Mogadishu and Banadir regions. They sacked Mr. Mohammed
Dheere and all the officers serving under him. This commission looks
politically like it is in the middle because these new people are kind of
people who can serve in the Islamic side and in the government side. The people
forming the committee that was announced are more neutral," Ahmed noted.
He said there was need to
have neutral people to serve in government.
"As you know in Somalia, our
problem is the same thing as in the United States. There is the left side and
there is the right side. There is nothing in the middle and now with the
political situation, we are trying to get people who would at least make sure
that Somalis see them as fair people," he said.
Ahmed said although the
warlords might not be happy with the sacking of the mayor of Mogadishu, there
is very little they can do.
"There is that possibility
of them causing trouble, but as you know politically, things are changing. The
warlords had their time and they didn't take advantage of the political
situation at that time and it looks like the time for the warlords is fading,"
Ahmed pointed out.
The former mayor has expressed his desire to support the
president's move, saying he would welcome with open arms the new mayor of
Mogadishu. Mohammed Dheere has already said that he will stand in any
election for the leadership of the Somali capital.
Ahmed said the former mayor
had promised to throw his weight behind the next mayor.
"Mohammed Dheere spoke
tonight from his house in Mogadishu saying that he is a Somali and that the job
is for all Somalis. And that he doesn't mind if another Somali takes the
position and as long as it is fair. And he (Dheere) is playing his cards I
think because deep down he is thinking of running whenever there is an
opportunity politically," he said.
Ahmed described the former
Mogadishu mayor as a political animal who might make a political come back.
"If you know the history of
Mohammed Dheere, you would know that politics is his life. He does not know any
other job, and I think as long as he lives he would try to run some kind of an
office. That is how the man is although I don't know he has the capability or
not (to run any administration), but that is all that he knows," Ahmed noted.