Monday, 13 December, 2004, 09:47 GMT
Somalia's new president may placate the MPs who sacked his prime minister, by reappointing him and then seeking their approval, officials say.
The MPs accused Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi of not sticking to clan-based quotas in his cabinet, or seeking parliament's approval.
After talks with the MPs, President Abdullahi Yusuf accepted the sacking but may reappoint him, officials say.
Somalia has been without a functioning national government for 13 years.
During this time, rival warlords have battled for control and Somalia has been divided into a patchwork of fiefdoms.
'Children'
All the major warlords are involved in the two-year peace process in neighbouring Kenya which led to Mr Yusuf's election, raising hopes that Somalia could soon return to normal.
Correspondents had praised the choice of Mr Ali as prime minister, as the academic comes from a rival clan to Mr Yusuf, the Hawiye, which controls the capital, Mogadishu.
Last week, a minister and five deputy ministers resigned from the government saying the cabinet was too large and not representative.
Mr Yusuf had initially said the vote to sack Mr Ali was "flawed" but now seems to have done a deal.
The prime minister will be reappointed, he will make changes to the government line-up and the government will seek a vote of confidence from parliament.
At the peace process, the four major clans were given an equal number of MPs.
Agriculture Minister Mauldi Maan Mohamed told the BBC's Network Africa programme that the MPs had "behaved like children".
"This was a matter of adjusting [the ministerial line-up], not a matter of dropping the prime minister," he said.
"After 26 months, if we start this thing from square one, the Somali people will not be happy."
No firm date has been set for the new Somali government to return to the capital, Mogadishu, which is divided between rival warlords.