A group of members of Somalia’s Lower House of Parliament announced on Tuesday that they had submitted a no-confidence motion against Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation Minister Ali Yusuf Ali (Hosh).

The lawmakers accused the minister of replacing officially recognized traditional elders with newly appointed figures, a move they said had raised concerns about the legitimacy of traditional representation. They also accused him of failing to properly carry out his duties as minister.

MP Abdirahman Cagaweyne, speaking on behalf of the lawmakers behind the motion, said the initiative was backed by 60 members of parliament.

He added that the motion had been formally received by Speaker of the House of the People Abduqadir Mohamed Nur Jama.

If accepted for debate, the motion could trigger parliamentary discussions over the minister’s performance and his handling of issues related to traditional leadership, federal affairs and reconciliation.

The move comes at a politically significant time, shortly after Abduqadir Mohamed Nur Jama was elected Speaker of the House of the People.

It is one of the first major parliamentary challenges facing the new House leadership and could test relations between lawmakers and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre’s government.

No immediate response was available from Minister Ali Yusuf Ali regarding the allegations. Parliamentary procedures will determine whether the motion advances to a formal debate and vote in the coming days.