BAIDOA, Somalia Oct 16, 2007 – Legislators in Somalia continued their deeply divided debate about the fate of the country's interim Prime Minister today.

Some 160 MPs convened Monday at a warehouse in the southwestern town of Baidoa where parliament is based.

Two documents were read at the opening of Tuesday's session. One document called for the continuation of the accountability motion with the government of Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi, while the other document called for a vote of no confidence motion.

Sheikh Adan "Madobe" Mohamed, the Speaker of parliament, then advised the MPs to choose between the two motions.

Many lawmakers expressed their views with our sources saying there is deep division within the parliament. Some 51 MPs have yet to express their position and the Speaker said the debate will continue on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Gedi has warned that efforts to unseat his government will lead to civil war in the country and destroy the fragile transitional government.

The government is itself struggling to survive in the capital Mogadishu where Islamist-led insurgents continue guerrilla attacks against government troops and their Ethiopian military allies.

In an interview with Mogadishu's HornAfrik Radio, Prime Minister Gedi said he has not considered resigning from his post.

"Is it not a cowardly act to resign in light of the problems in Somalia and the government's immense responsibility?" Gedi said, after initially laughing at the suggestion.

Several politicians have suggested that Gedi resign to avoid the government's collapse. He dismissed a recent meeting of 22 Cabinet ministers who issued a communique demanding   Gedi face a   vote of no confidence motion.

"There is no legal basis for a Cabinet meeting without me as chair. Those members [22 Cabinet ministers] had a private conversation, nothing more," Gedi said.

He dismissed media reports that there is deep political division within the transitional government. He said the publicized division is differences of thought between government leaders, and that the government will continue to pursue the road to reconciliation.

Source: Garowe Online