MOGADISHU, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed called for unity among members of government and parliament as rifts have recently emerged over whether the office term of the Speaker of the legislature has ended, a statement from the presidency said Monday.

Somalia's parliament has failed to hold its meeting as differences between lawmakers over the speaker's fate exacerbated widening the rift within the transitional legislative assembly of the embattled Somali government.

"The Somali President, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed calls on the members of the Council of Ministers and the Parliament to put their differences aside and focus on the important security and governance tasks that the Somali people expect," said the statement Xinhua obtained.

President Ahmed has held a closed-door session with the Council of Ministers. This followed similar meetings that the Somali leader had in the last four days with the members of parliament and other leading figures of the Transitional Federal Institutions namely the speaker of the parliament and the prime minster, the statement said.

The meetings were said to be part of extensive consultations the president has had with the members of the Somali government institutions "in order to defuse the ongoing political wrangling" within the government

The statement said that the aim of the talks were to "refocus the combined energies of the government and parliament to the tasks that they swore to uphold, namely serving the people and putting the national interest ahead of personal and partisan gains. "

President Ahmed it added underscored to the members of the Council of Ministers and MPs that both the Somali people and international community expect the Somali government institutions "to set their priories right in the face of the daunting security and humanitarian challenges the nation face."

"Unity, patience and selflessness should be our motto" the Somali leader informed all concerned, concluded the statement from the president's office.

The internationally recognized Somali government is struggling to stave off Islamist insurgency determined to take over the war torn East African country and establish an Islamic State.