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                       Somali Parliament Approves New PM

   by VOA News

   Somali lawmakers have approved the appointment of new Prime Minister
   Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, making him Somalia's third prime
   minister in the past two years.

   The Speaker of Parliament announced Wednesday that all 218 of the 224
   lawmakers present voted in favor of the appointment.

   Before the vote, Sharmarke vowed that he will quickly assemble a
   Cabinet. His government must finish reviewing Somalia's provisional
   constitution, try to end political infighting, and hold elections by
   2016. Diplomats have warned the frequent disputes between Somalia's
   leaders could undermine the country's recovery from more than 20 years
   of lawlessness and conflict.

   Sharmarke has spent the past few months in Washington, D.C. as
   Somalia's ambassador to the U.S. He has also served as prime minister
   before, for 18 months in 2009 and 2010.

   His predecessor, Abdiweli Sheikh Mohamed, was voted out on December 6
   after a dispute with the president about a Cabinet reorganization.

   The United Nations-backed government is trying to stabilize the country
   in the face of continued insurgency by militant group al-Shabab.
   Earlier this month, U.N. envoy Nicholas Kay said the country needs a
   "significant period of stability" and said he hopes Somali leaders can
   reach agreement on how to avoid political crises.

   The United States has called for Somali leaders to "rise above
   political differences that divert from the important work of unifying
   the country" under a federal framework.


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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/somalia-parliament-approves-new-pm/25
   72017.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/somalia-parliament-approves-new-pm/2572017.html