Charter amended to accommodate opposition

Somalia's Transitional National Assembly (TNA) has voted in favour of amending some articles of the transitional charter to allow changes in the number and qualifications of ministers in a bid to accommodate opposition groups. The TNA has been debating the agreement signed by the Transitional National Government (TNG) during reconciliation talks held in Nairobi last month. The Nairobi agreement, between the TNG and some factions opposed to it, was signed in Kenya on 24 December after weeks of formal and informal talks, in the presence of Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi who had convened the meeting. The two sides agreed to the establishment of "an all-inclusive government" to ensure equitable power-sharing among all Somali clans. "To this end, the TNA amended articles 25 and 27, and set up a committee to study the best way to amend article 17 of the transitional charter," MP, Professor Abdirahman Adan Ibrahim Ibbi, told IRIN on Wednesday. Article 25 states that "the cabinet shall consist of the prime minister and 25 ministers only". It has now been amended to read: "The cabinet shall consist of the prime minister and a number of ministers as deemed necessary," Ibbi said. Article 27 stipulates that a cabinet minister must have a university degree; it now states that a cabinet minister "shall possess the necessary qualifications and experience", he said. At the Nairobi meeting, the parties agreed to "to propose to parliament to increase the number of MPs and members of the council of ministers". Ibbi told IRIN the TNA had set up a committee to study the best way of amending Article 17, which limits the number of MPs to 245. This was a very sensitive issue, insofar as parliamentary representation was drawn up along clan lines, he said. "We want to accommodate the opposition in the interests of peace and reconciliation, but any changes to the charter involving an increase in the number of MPs, would have to be considered carefully to avoid upsetting the clan balance of the TNA," he explained. The TNA also gave the government three months during which to pursue the peace process without having to refer to the assembly ahead of signing any agreement, Ibbi told IRIN. "This will give the government a freer hand to negotiate with the opposition without undue delays," he said. Interim Prime Minister Hasan Abshir Farah hailed the amendments and promised to form an all-inclusive government "which would put emphasis on reconciliation and face-to-face negotiations with opposition groups", Somali government radio reported on Wednesday. He also vowed to rebuild the Somali armed forces by "strengthening quantity and quality". Meanwhile, a member of the TNA has reportedly resigned, according to the Mogadishu daily 'Ayaamaha' newspaper. Farah Ali Shire, from Laas Anod of Sool Region, in the self-declared independent republic of Somaliland, announced his resignation on Saturday, citing the "inefficiency" of the TNG.