afrol News, 1 September - Somalia's Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein has survived a vote of no confidence after receiving majority baking by Somalia lawmakers today, speaker said.

The atmosphere inside Parliament's ADC Hall in Baidoa, 250km northwest of Mogadishu, was chaotic as Members of Parliament debated whether or not the vote should be by secret ballot, reports said.

"Thus the government has got a clear confidence from the majority of the members of the house," parliament speaker Aden Mohamed Nur announced said.

"Only seven of 200 MPs present in parliament voted against Hussein, who had been accused by some lawmakers of embezzling state funds," speaker said.

Mr Hussein claimed result was a victory for Somali people and all peace lovers, saying Parliament showed they are legitimate force that can uphold rule of law.

Somali parliamentarians last week tabled a motion to oust prime minister and his government accusing it of incompetence and embezzlement, a charge vehemently denied by Mr Hussein.

But lawmaker Ali Abdullahi Osoble, who campaigned for Mr Hussein's removal, said procedure was flawed because MPs were not allowed to contribute to motion before voting. "The whole plan was in favour of Mr Hussein government," he said.

This came only days after both Somali President Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed and his prime minister briefed legislators on an agreement they reached in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.

The two leaders told parliament Thursday that they had agreed to dissolve the administration of Banadir region and Mogadishu, Somali capital, increase the cabinet members by five and reform national intelligence force.

The two leaders President Yusuf and premier Hussein Nur Adde fell out earlier when Mr Yusuf revoked prime minister's decision to fire Mogadishu mayor Mohamed Dheere for allegedly fuelling insecurity in the city.

A number of pro-president members of Hussein's cabinet then resigned accusing him of misuse of state funds but prime minister replaced them with other ministers.

Since it was created in 2004, Somalia's internationally-backed transitional federal government has been plagued by internecine squabbling. It has also been wrecked by a deadly guerrilla conflict since Ethiopian forces backed government troops in late 2006 to oust an Islamist movement.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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