The presidential PM nomination was the one constitutional lever Osman could wield

Evidence

On June 6, the president met with Hussen at the appointed hour. Osman shared with him the wide consultation he had had regarding the state of the nation and the essential qualities he was looking for in the new prime minister. Without directly criticizing Sharmarkee, the president conveyed his decision not to renominate the prime minister. Osman stressed that the naming of the prime minister was the only occasion on which the president had a direct hand in the administration of the affairs of the state. As a result, the best way to heed his oath of office was to stick to what he thought to be in the best interest of the country. Hussen reminded the president of his ill health, as well as his unpopular reputation at Interior. The president told him that many, particularly in the North, who were critical of him at Interior, had since recanted their negative opinions. Osman finally asserted pithily that “Somali rageyga ha kala barato” (Somalis need to learn to distinguish between their leaders). Hussen suggested to the president that he should give Sharmarkee a second chance, to which the president replied that he was not willing to experiment with his deeply held convictions. Hussen thanked the president for his consideration but declared that he could not accept the honor. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 706