MOGADISHU: Somalia's parliament removed Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire from his post in a vote of no confidence on Saturday for failing to pave the way towards fully democratic elections, the speaker said.

A whopping 170 of parliament's 178 MPs backed the no confidence motion, and the ouster was immediately endorsed by President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who appointed Khaire as prime minister in February 2017.

The deputies had arrived at the National Assembly on Saturday to work on the organisation of the next national elections in 2021. President Farmajo then appointed Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed Guled by decree to act as caretaker prime minister pending the appointment of a new one.