Cabinet reshuffle in Somaliland

The president of the self-declared independent republic of Somaliland, Muhammad Ibrahim Egal, has reshuffled his cabinet, according to Radio Hargeysa. This is the second time in a month that Egal has reshuffled his cabinet. Egal appointed his former minister of planning, Muhammad Sa'id Ges, as the new foreign minister, while the former foreign minister, Abdulhamid Garad, was now minister of justice. The former justice minister, Ahmad Hasan Ate, was moved to planning, the radio said on Wednesday. The move follows the controversial year-long extension of the Somaliland leader's term of office in January. The extension came just ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections, scheduled for February. The extension was, however, challenged by established opposition figures and presidential candidates, who accused the administration of "manipulating" the vote in the Somaliland House of Elders or upper chamber. Functioning as a legislative body, the House of Elders has 83 members. The extension was "unconstitutional and totally unacceptable", Abdirahman Aw-Ali Farah, a former Somaliland vice-president, now vice-chairman of the opposition alliance ASAD, told IRIN at the time. The information minister of Somaliland, Abdullahi Muhammad Du'ale, however, defended the extension, telling IRIN that the extension came at the request of newly formed political organisations which had not yet been able to register and therefore needed more time. "Otherwise, we are ready and prepared for free and fair elections," he said. A diplomatic source in Nairobi, familiar with region, told IRIN there were no political implications to the reshuffle. "I would not read too much into it. Egal likes to do this from time to time," the source said.