The fact that the TFG President, his Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are at loggerheads over the political fate of Mohamed Dhere, the mayor of Mogadishu is a telling tale.
It is indeed ironic, oxymoron to be exact for leaders of “federal” government to fight over the appointment and the dismissal of a “municipal” mayor.
Even if Mogadishu is a unique case because of its national capital status, the TFG Charter should have been clear on a straightforward matter such as the selection / election or demotion of the mayor of Mogadishu. If there is misunderstanding in the interpretation of the Charter, the Supreme Court is where disputants including organs of government should be referring for judicial guidance and legal ruling. Functioning judiciary is however, not in place in Somalia, hence the perpetual TFG crises.
More importantly though, leaders of a government whose five-year term is about to end (without any tangible accomplishments) should have been inclined in forging political understating on issues that could further wreck on the already compromised reputation of their fledgling government. One would also expect the TFG Parliament, which supposedly has the powers to make laws or amend the Charter, to step in and rectify contentious constitutional issues; the hapless MPs are however causing stampede in their rush to join the fracas pledging their vote to the highest bidder.
TFG has been embroiled in crises and conflicts since its inception. The latest flare up over the mayor-ship of Mohamed Dheere, could thus be interpreted as another episode of troublesome TFG traditions. The only difference this time around is that the international community seems to be involved with, and interested in, the affairs / activities of the TFG and the overall political development / maneuverings in Somalia.
In the past, the TFG President won almost all the internal TFG infightings, for he was able to purge all the Mogadishu warlords (with the exception of Mohamed Dheere) from the TFG; he dethroned the then Speaker of Parliament; he dismissed the previous Prime Minister and incarcerated seven months and then sacked the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
The question now is would the TFG President carry the day and overpower his Prime Minister. On the other hand, is this the end of the political ascendance of the TFG President? The resignation of two-thirds of the Cabinet ministers (allied with the President) and the fact that certain TFG MPs are itching / murmuring for vote-of-no-confidence proceedings against the Premier indicates that widened rift between the TFG President and his Prime Minister is a likelihood scenario if not a fait accompli.
The removal of Mohamed Dheere from the office of the Mogadishu mayor is characterized to be part of a strategy by the Prime Minister to create in Mogadishu and its environs a relatively peaceful environment where national reconciliation could be advanced.
It is not secret that the international community is impressed with and supportive of, Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein’s reconciliatory posturing, particularly his contribution to the ongoing Djibouti peace talks with the opposition.
Whether Mohamed Dheere remains to be the mayor of Mogadishu or whether he vanishes from the political scene, would reveal where the support of the international community lies.
The battle lines, for the fate of the TFG, are drawn. Mogadishu seems to be ground zero. Mohamed Dheere is apparently the lightning rod. The international community is the jury. The residents of Mogadishu who supposed to elect their mayor are ironically mere spectators of this drama.