Somali MPs vacate parliament seats

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:42:22 GMT | perwi

Thirty Somali lawmakers have fled Baidoa, the seat of the country's Parliament, after a legislator was killed in the southern town. The lawmakers are said to be heading to the northern town of Galkaayo in the breakaway region of Puntland, a Press TV correspondent reported on Monday. The move is triggered by increasing insecurity in Baidoa. On Saturday unknown gunmen killed parliament member Ismail Hassan Omar Mohammud (Timir), who was recently appointed as assistant minister by ousted Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein (Nur Adde). The fleeing lawmakers are allies of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed who announced his resignation on Monday and is also said to have left Baidoa for Puntland. The withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia - who were responsible for providing security to government officials and lawmakers - is expected to force more lawmakers to vacate the town.

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