Somali parliament approves appointment of Hamza Abdi Barre as PM

Speaker of the Somali Federal Parliament, Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur (Madobe) said 220 members who attended the session endorsed Barre who was appointed on June 15 by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

"All 220 Members of Parliament present in the House today responded to the newly appointed prime minister's request for approval and all the parliamentarians voted in favour of Hamza Abdi Barre as the prime minister. No one voted against or abstained. Therefore, he got a vote of confidence," the speaker said after the vote.

Barre who was present during the motion was immediately sworn in and lauded the lawmakers for having confidence in him.

The new PM now has 30 days to form his new cabinet that will be tasked with transforming the country amid security, severe drought, and COVID-19 challenges.

Barre, who was voted in as an MP in Kismayo, the commercial capital of Jubaland in December 2021 said he will form a cabinet that will steer Somalia forward.

"I wish to thank Members of the Parliament for giving me their confidence as prime minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, it is a big responsibility that I took and I promise to build a qualified cabinet that is up to the task," Barre said.

The new premier who also spoke before the vote promised to prioritize security, reconciliation, and political stability in Somalia which is also facing an escalated drought that has left 7.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid. He also promised to initiate dialogue with Somaliland.

Barre, who has previously served in various public roles, is a humanitarian activist and champion for education. He was educated in Yemen and Malaysia and had headed the local electoral management body in Jubbaland. He also held various advisory roles in government.

President Mohamud won the presidency for the second time on May 15, having previously served from 2012 to 2017. (ANI/Xinhua)