Hundreds of people Wednesday rallied in a number of districts in the Somali capital Mogadishu in support of the Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein's decision to sack Mohamed Omar Habeeb as the mayor of the city.
Nur dismissed Habeeb, who is also the governor of Banadir region, in a decree issued Tuesday. The premier accused the former mayor and governor of incompetence, mismanagement, embezzlement and failure to stabilize the capital.
People rallied in Yaqshid, Hamarweyne, Hamarjajab, and Wadajir districts, chanting slogans in support of the Prime Minister. The demonstrators were addressed by commissioners of the districts who also welcomed the Premier's move.
Habeeb, also known as Mohamed Dheere, has been mayor of Mogadishu and the governor of Banadir region since 2007 after he was appointed by the former Prime Minister Ali Gedi.
Mohamed Dheere has been accused of heavy-handedness during his tenure.
The former mayor was quoted by some media as saying that he fully supports the Prime Minister's decision but the Prime Minister can only propose and the final say over his dismissal rests with the Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed.
The President has not commented on the dismissal of Habeeb as mayor.
Hundreds of residents in the southern Lower Shabelle town of Afgooye also took to the streets in support of the Prime Minster.
Thousands of displaced people who fled the violence in the capital stay in camps between Mogadishu and Afgooye, 30 km southwest of the capital.
Ahmed Abdi Salam, deputy prime minister, said early this year that changes will be made in the administration of the Somali capital and local people will be involved in governing the city which has been the scene of violent confrontation between insurgents and Somali government forces backed by Ethiopian troops since early 2007.
Thousands of the capital's residents have either been killed, or wounded in the past 19 months of violence. Nearly a million of the city's population have been displaced from their homes and are now encamped on the outskirts of the restive coastal capital.
Early this year, Prime Minister Hussein sacked the governor of Hiran after he was accused of incompetence. A new governor was named to replace him although the former governor refused to accept to concede the post saying the Somali President has the final say.
Source:Xinhua
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