Somalia: President - 'The Dispute is Not Political, But Constitutional'

Interim Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf held a press conference in the national capital Mogadishu on Tuesday, where he discussed many relevant issues, including a much-publicized dispute with Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein.
Speaking to reporters at Villa Somalia, the President said he decided to a hold press conference to "clarify" media reports about the dispute between him and the country's Prime Minister more http://allafrica.com/stories/200808130454.html

Somali president defends decision to reinstate mayor

The president of Somalia, Abdullahi Yusuf, on Tuesday defended his decision to reinstate the mayor of Mogadishu, who had been sacked by his prime minister, saying only he had the power to act in such cases. rift between Yusuf and his premier, Nur Hassan Hussein, has widened after Hussein sacked former warlord and Mogadishu mayor Mohamed Dheere over financial mismanagement and his inability to end the worsening insecurity in the capital.
Speaking at his white-washed presidential palace in a hilly Mogadishu suburb, Yusuf said that under the interim constitution powers over such appointments were vested only in the presidency. "People say I am against reconciliation. The issue is not political, it's based on the constitution. I am committed to reconciliation," the 74-year-old former colonel told reporters. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LC044049.htm