PM sacks two female ministers ahead of Somalia polls

MOGADISHU, Somalia-Federal Government of Somalia’s (FGS) President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has promulgated the sacking of two of three women ministers in the cabinet by decree on Saturday, Garowe Online reports.

Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke relieved Education Minister Khadro Bashir Ali of her duty for health-related matters, and sacked Health Minister Hawo Hassan Mohamed. 

Mohamed is said to have been sacked for failing to attend to complaints raised over health programmes sponsored by international partners. 

Sharmarke replaced Ali and Mohamed with former Puntland’s State Minister for Planning Abdulkadir Abdi Hashi and Southwest State leader’s brother Mohamed Haji Abdinurrespectively.  

The firing comes amid intense campaign for strong commitment to 30 percent quota reserved for women in both Lower and Upper Houses during parliamentary selection process to be kick-started by August.

Somalia has only two months to go until presidential elections scheduled for September.  

--Gender parity  

The move means only a woman minister—Sahro Mohamed Ali of Women and Human Rights-- would stay for two months despite increased calls for more women representatives in national assembly. 

On June 20, Somali women endorsed a model to enhance gender parity during upcoming 2016 legislative elections.  

A committee of Goodwill Ambassadors is seeking to create a rare engagement between women candidates and traditional leaders vested with the selection of next parliament.  

Somali political leaders had worked out a model giving women a 30 percent representation.

GAROWEONLINE