Somali PM Dissolves Cabinet

Somali PM Dissolves Cabinet

Somalia's prime minister has dissolved his 60-man Cabinet.
Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke said he decided to withdraw the Cabinet after strong opposition from lawmakers.
He asked parliament for 14 days to form a new Cabinet.  The lawmakers unanimously agreed to that request in a vote Saturday.
Sharmarke had unveiled his Cabinet just last week, but more than 100 lawmakers had written to him saying they would not approve the group.
Sharmarke is Somalia's third prime minister in the past two years.  He was also the prime minister for 18 months in 2009 and 2010.
Diplomats have warned the frequent disputes between Somalia's leaders could undermine the country's recovery from more than 20 years of lawlessness and conflict.
Sharmarke's predecessor Abdiweli Sheikh Mohamed was voted out last month after a dispute with the president about a Cabinet reorganization.
The U.N.-backed government is trying to stabilize the country in the face of continued insurgency by the militant group al-Shabab.
The United States has called for Somali leaders to "rise above political differences that divert from the important work of unifying the country" under a federal framework.