President to face impeachment

Somali lawmakers have voted for the impeachment of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, a day after he sacked Premier Nur Hassan Hussein.

On Tuesday, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed appointed Mohamud Mohamed Guled as a new prime minister to replace Nur Hassan Hussein despite strong objection from the parliament.

The dismissal caused outrage among lawmakers, who described the move as unconstitutional. The lawmakers accused the president of being a 'dictator' and disturbing the peace process in the war-torn country.

Parliament speaker Sheikh Adan Mohamed also criticized Yusuf for his decision, saying 'the president is not able to sack the premier of Somalia'.

The motion was supported by 117 of lawmakers on Wednesday, and will be fully discussed in another parliamentary session, a Press TV correspondent reported.

President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed will attend an impeachment session to defend himself against the charges. The Parliament has yet to announce the impeachment date. To succeed, the motion needs a two third majority.

Yusuf accused Nur Hassan Hussein of not having a functional government and sacked the premier and the entire Cabinet on Sunday for what he described as their 'failure to bring peace and security' to the nation.

The two leaders have been at odds in recent months mainly over efforts to strike a reconciliation agreement with the Djibouti-based Somali opposition, the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS).

Somalia has been without an effective central government since warlords toppled Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. The ongoing violence in Somalia has resulted in the death and displacement of countless civilians.