New premier says "reconciliation first priority"

The newly appointed prime minister of the Transitional National Government (TNG) of Somalia, Hasan Abshir Farah, told IRIN on Tuesday that his "first priority will be national reconciliation". He said: "We must complete the reconciliation process as we promised. Everything else depends on that." Hasan Abshir said he would take a two-track approach on this. "I want to start with the factions opposed to the TNG, while on the other hand talk to the regions which have administrations," he said, referring to the self-declared republic of Somaliland, northwestern Somalia, and the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia. "I will not hesitate to ask for the help of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development [IGAD], and particularly our immediate neighbours - Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti," Hasan Abshir said. They had a role to perform, and "I am confident they will play a positive one". He said his administration would also make use of the National Reconciliation Commission, which was set up in May, but has been ineffective ever since its chairman, Abdirazzaq Haji Husayn - himself a former prime minister - resigned in July, accusing Hasan Abshir's predecessor of undermining the commission's work. "As a matter of urgency, I will appoint a new chairman," Hasan Abshir said. He added that his agenda also covered the restoration of law and order and the establishment of regional administrations. Meanwhile, reaction in his home region of Puntland to the new prime minister's appointment has reportedly been positive, local sources told IRIN. Abdirashid Haji Abshir, a delegate to the general congress, which is in session in Garowe, the regional capital, said the appointment would have a positive impact on the reconciliation process. "It will bring people closer." Abdirashid said people in Puntland were very happy with the appointment, and "will welcome the prime minister to Puntland". Abdirashid pointed out that Puntland was in the process of electing a new administration, which the new prime minister would have to deal with if he wished to "complete the reconciliation process" which he had said he wanted to accomplish. Adan Abdirahman Dolar, the editor of the Garowe-based Nugal Times, told IRIN on Tuesday that his paper had received many letters expressing support for the new prime minister. "I spoke with other editors, and they are telling me the same thing," he said. Hasan Abshir was Puntland's interior minister before he joined the TNG.