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Somali
president defends decision
to reinstate mayor
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 MOGADISHU(August
14,2008) - The
president of Somalia, Abdullahi Yusuf, on Tuesday defended his decision
to reinstate the mayor of Mogadishu, who had been sacked by his prime
minister, saying only he had the power to act in such cases.
A rift between Yusuf and his premier, Nur Hassan Hussein, has widened
after Hussein sacked former warlord and Mogadishu mayor Mohamed Dheere
over financial mismanagement and his inability to end the worsening
insecurity in the capital.
Speaking at his white-washed presidential palace in a hilly Mogadishu
suburb, Yusuf said that under the interim constitution powers over
such appointments were vested only in the presidency.
"People say I am against reconciliation. The issue is not political,
it's based on the constitution. I am committed to reconciliation,"
the 74-year-old former colonel told reporters.
Ten ministers allied to Yusuf resigned in protest when Hussein sacked
Dheere at the end of July.
"It's not out of love or hate for Mohamed Dheere (that I reinstated
him). I can be replaced, Mohamed Dheere can be replaced ... but the
constitution cannot be changed," he said, flanked by aides in
the heavily guarded palace.
Yusuf also said he was committed to U.N.-mediated talks with Islamist
opposition members in Djibouti. The two parties signed a ceasefire
deal in June, but the pact has since been broken.
"We are ready for the peace talks," Yusuf said in a statement.
"I hope the opposition will join the government so that Somalia
can get a political settlement."
He said security and political committees from both sides would soon
meet again in Djibouti to iron out differences before they head to
Saudi Arabia to sign a final pact.
His fragile interim government is struggling to assert its authority
and is facing a 20-month Iraqi-style insurgency. Somalia has witnessed
unending violence since former strongman Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted
in 1991.
Yusuf was nominated Somalia's president by lawmakers at their 14th
attempt to restore central government.
In Tuesday's rare press briefing, he accused Islamist groups of provoking
violence.
"They attack the presidential palace and our houses, forcing
us to defend ourselves.
I don't know what kind of Islamic faith allows women cleaners to be
bombed. I don't also understand why people should not fight off these
elements," he said.
The violence in Somalia has already claimed the lives of more than
8,000 civilians and driven 1 million from their homes since January
2007.
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