Somalia’s Parliament has endorsed a new cabinet proposed by Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire last week.
Lower House Deputy Speaker Abdiweli Ibrahim Mudey announced 224 members of the Somali parliament voted in favour of the cabinet, while 15 MP’s rejected it and two abstained from the vote.
The move ended anxiety that many analysts had suggested would have crippled the operations of the new government formed after a successful indirect presidential elections in February.
Speaker of the country’s Lower House Mohamed Osman Jawari lauded the lawmakers for endorsing the cabinet nominees.
“Parliament did their constitutional duties and we urge the executive branch to work hard as the country is in very bad situation,” Jawari said.
Somali prime minister who also thanked lawmakers for the approval of the new ministers vowed to move swiftly to fix challenges facing Somalia.
“My government will do more on the security, drought, fighting with Al-Shabaab militants, corruption, investment and economic growth,” Khaire said.
He promised to convene his first cabinet meeting on Thursday, one that will focus on the security and the drought situation in the country.
Somaia has been dogged by a decade-long insurgency by Islamist militants who seek to impose an Islamic state in the Horn of Africa.
The al-Qaeda affiliated al-Shabaab group has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands in that period.
The African Union is helping fight the militant group, and has deployed troops into the country for that purpose.
Women got six ministerial posts in the new cabinet, an increase in women quota in the executive branch, compared to the previous administrations.
