SOMALIA - Cabinet Nominated and Sworn In

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 000348

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR AF/E
LONDON FR ACTING A/S CARTER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - Cabinet Nominated and Sworn In


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. On February 20, Prime Minister Sharmarke
nominated a 36-member cabinet to lead the new unity Transitional
Federal Government (TFG). In composing the cabinet, each of the
ministries was first allocated to a specific clan and sub-clan and
then the ministers were chosen from these groups, thus ensuring
representative clan distribution. Sharif and Sharmarke engaged in
extensive consultations on the structure and composition of the
cabinet, including with the Ambassador and members of the Somalia
Unit. The final cabinet is larger than ideal, several of the key
ministries were awarded to Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia
(ARS) loyalists, and there are only three women. Yet there are
relatively equal numbers from both the ARS and the TFG and there are
no hard-line fundamentalists. We have cultivated excellent
relationships with the majority of the individuals who now comprise
the cabinet.


2. (SBU) Summary Cont'd. The morning of February 21, the cabinet
was sworn in, prior to parliamentary debate and approval. Although
parliamentarians expressed disappointment in the nominations, the
night of February 21, they voted overwhelmingly to support the
cabinet. Sharif openly acknowledged the imperfections in its
composition, but insisted the nominations were an early measure to
mollify a variety of constituents. Over the next few months, after
they return to Mogadishu and begin work, he indicated that the
cabinet would be adjusted based on the needs at hand. President
Sharif and the PM have been open throughout the selection process
and have sought our views and support at all key junctures. End
Summary.

Intense Consultations and Negotiations
--------------


3. (SBU) Since his election on January 30, President Sheikh Sharif
has consulted regularly with us in his selection of a prime minister
and the process to stand up his government. On February 19
Ambassador Ranneberger spoke to Sharif by phone and expressed our
expectation that the cabinet be balanced, representative, and
composed of individuals with whom we can effectively work. Sharif
noted the intense pressures from multiple constituencies seeking
influence in the cabinet but promised to deliver a cabinet based on
these criteria. During this conversation, for instance, he lamented
the cabinet's potential size, but said he had to share cabinet
positions among the many sub-clans, as a means of advancing the
reconciliation process. He told us that once the government
returned to Mogadishu and began work, the structure and composition
will be adjusted accordingly. PM Sharmarke told us that he intended
to re-visit the cabinet structure in three to six months.


4. (SBU) The evening of February 20, Prime Minister Sharmarke
presented parliament with a list of 36 ministers and a document that
outlined the priorities for his government. As Sharif warned us the
day before, the nomination process was influenced by powerful
constituencies, each insisting on their "fair share" of the
ministries. The PM presented us with an advance copy of the
nominations hours before it was given to parliament. After
parliament convened on February 20 to hear the announcements,
several last minute changes were still being made. Late into the
night, negotiations continued among the various interested parties.


Cabinet Sworn In
--------------


5. (SBU) To the surprise of many, the ministers were convened at
Djibouti's presidential villa on February 21 at 11:00 a.m. to be
sworn in. Although most had expected the parliament to first debate
the list of nominations and give a vote of confidence, the Charter
does not require this step. With dissention within parliament about
the selections and the time pressure to return to Mogadishu, Sharif
opted to expedite the process by conducting a limited invitation
swearing-in ceremony to which no MPs were invited. The ceremony
began three hours late as Sharif, Sharmarke and others were in
closed-door negotiations, primarily with leaders from the
Darod/Marehan sub-clan who wanted more than the Deputy Prime
Minister position they received. Two Darod minister designates
refused to attend the swearing-in: Deputy Prime Minister of Energy
and Petroleum Resources Abdiwahid Elmi Gonjeeh and Minister of

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Diaspora Outreach Abdullahi Ahmed Abdulle Azari.

President Sharif Implores
Parliament to Understand Constraints
--------------


6. (SBU) After an almost three hour delay, parliament convened at
about 8:45 pm on February 21 to consider the cabinet appointments
and Prime Minister Shemarke's program for the government. The
Speaker announced that 375 MPs were present -- enough for a quorum.
President Sharif addressed parliament and immediately shifted the
mood among the hostile MPs. Sharif told the parliamentarians that
all Somalis have high expectations and that they are looking to them
to make a difference. He explained that in the short time that PM
Sharmarke was given to form a government, he listened to a wide
range of advice and made his selections based on these
consultations. Sharif acknowledged that neither he nor Sharmarke
will be 100 percent correct in their decisions and that they will
make mistakes. Yet he asked for the confidence and the support of
parliament through the process.


7. (SBU) Sharif said that they applied the 4.5 formula for clan
representation, but still could not satisfy everyone. He said that
he wanted the representatives to fully understand the constraints on
the nominations. He reminded the MPs that they were all put into
office to solve old problems and therefore should not create new
divisions. "We must help each other solve the problems of Somalia;
I respect parliament and the MPs and will abide by whatever outcome
you decide," he said. He implored the MPs to remember that that
their mandate was to support the Somali people, not their clan and
that similarly, all should expect the ministers to represent
Somalia, not their clans. Sharif concluded by asking parliament to
give a vote of confidence to this cabinet as the next step in the
solution to Somalia's problems.

Parliament Gives Overwhelming
Vote of Confidence
--------------


8. (SBU) After President Sharif concluded his address, the Speaker
opened the floor for debate. The first motion was for parliament to
vote by secret ballot on a vote of confidence for the cabinet. One
of the sponsoring MPs read the motion aloud and the names of the 51
MPs endorsing the motion. Madobe said that they were logistically
unprepared to vote by secret ballot and if the MPs insisted, the PM
would return to Mogadishu and make new appointments from there. The
Speaker warned that those who were pushing for secret ballots were
trying to obstruct the process and would cause the early collapse of
the government.


9. (SBU) As soon as the floor opened for debate, about 20 MPs
rushed to put their names on the list to speak. PM Shermarke found
an unlikely champion in ex-warlord and MP Mohamed Quanyare who said
that the PM was new and was expected to make mistakes, but the time
for complaints was over. Quanyare implored the MPs to vote and
return to Somalia tomorrow. The MPs responded with resounding
applause and agreed, with a show of hands, to vote immediately for
the cabinet. The outcome was an overwhelming vote of support for
the government: 354 to 19 with 2 abstentions.

The New Cabinet
--------------


10. (U) Post will provide septel more complete biographical
information on each of the ministers. The confirmed cabinet
appointments follow:

-- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Fisheries and Ocean
Resources - Abdirahman Aden Ibrahim "Ibbi"
-- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance - Sharif Hassan
Sheikh Aden
-- Deputy Prime Minister of Energy and Petroleum Resources -
Abdiwahid Elmi Gonjeeh
-- Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mohamed Abdullahi Omar
-- Minister of Defense - Mohamed Abdi Mohamed "Gandi"
-- Minister of National Planning and International Cooperation -
Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame

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-- Minister of Constitution and Federal Affairs - Madobe Nunow
Mohamed
-- Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowmentss - Sheikh Ali Adan

-- Minister of Women and Family Affairs - Fowziya Mohamed Sheikh
-- Minister of Rehabilitation and Handicapped - Mohamed Ali Ibrahim
-- Minister of Humanitarian and Emergency Assistance - Mohamed Abdi
Ibrahim
-- Minister of Information - Farhan Ali Mohamed
-- Minister of Scientific Research and Technology - Mohamed Ali Hagaa
-- Minister of Health - Qamar Aden Ali (woman)
-- Minister of Labor and Workforce Development - Mohamed Abdi Hayir
"Mareeye"
-- Minister of Diaspora Outreach - Abdullahi Ahmed Abdulle Azari
-- Minister of Education - Ahmed Abdullahi Sheikh Mohamed "Wayel"
-- Minister of Public Works and Housing - Mohamed Abdi Yusuf
-- Minister of Rural Development - Khadija Mohamed Diriye
-- Minister of Youth and Sports - Seleban Olaad Roble
-- Minister of Interior - Abdukadir Ali Omar
-- Minister of Security - Omar Hashi Aden
-- Minister of Livestock - Aboukar Abdi Osman
-- Minister of Justice - Abdurahman Mohamud Farah "Janaqow"
-- Minister of Agriculture - Mohamed Nur Shati Gudud
-- Minister of Ports and Marine Transport - Mohamed Ibrahim Habsade
-- Minister of National Property and Equipment - Mohamed Mursal
-- Minister of Culture and Higher Education - Ibrahim Hassan Addow
-- Minister of Mineral Resources and Water - Abdallah Boss Ahmed
-- Minister of Reconstruction and Recovery - Hussein Helabe Fahiye
-- Minister of Tourism and Wildlife - Mohamed Hussein Said
-- Minister of Posts and Telecommunications - Abdirizak Osman Jurile
-- Minister of Commerce - Abdirashid Irro
-- Minister of Industries - Abdirahman Jama
-- Minister of Land and Air Transportation - Ali Jama Jangeli
-- Minister of Environment - Buri Mohamed Hamsa

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