POWER STRUGGLE: Somali president asked to step down after sacking prime minister

Somalia's opposition presidential candidates have called on President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, popularly known as Farmajo, to leave office after he attempted to force the prime minister from power.

The council of the presidential candidates in Somalia issued the call one day after Farmajo suspended Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, accusing him of corruption and failure to conduct elections. The prime minister has denied the allegations, accusing the president of orchestrating a coup.

The opposition candidates called for an investigation into what they termed treason, and for the national consultative council, consisting of federal and other leaders from five states, to immediately address grievances about already delayed parliamentary elections.

There has been no comment from Farmajo on the latest developments, which have escalated a dispute between the two politicians over the delayed vote and who will lead the country. Critics say the president is looking to stay in power by any means necessary. Farmajo took office in February 2017. His term formally ended in February.

The international community, including the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu, has since urged Somali leaders to avoid violent actions and initiate dialogue to resolve their differences in order to expedite the vote.

Parliamentary elections were supposed to conclude before the end of the year but are nowhere near complete with just more than 50 members of parliament out of 275 selected so far by tribal delegates.

Source: VOA