MOGADISHU, Somalia — The speaker of Somalia’s Parliament resigned on Monday ahead of a no-confidence vote, sparing the country a repeat of the armed standoff last week that threatened to descend into violence.
The decision by the speaker, Mohamed Osman Jawari, could mean a peaceful resolution to the power struggle between him and the president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.
Last week, a no-confidence motion by Mr. Mohamed’s allies against Mr. Jawari led to a face-off between armed members of the security services — those loyal to the speaker inside the Parliament, and those loyal to the president outside.
The deadlock lasted several hours and ended after mediation by the African Union.
Abdurahman Hosh Jibril, the minister of constitutional affairs and a professed critic of Mr. Jawari, praised the speaker for “taking the higher road.”
“He saved the country from going into conflict,” Mr. Jibril said. “I am impressed that he compromised for the sake of the nation.”
Source: NYTIMES
