Hiiraan Online
Monday, August 29, 2016
MOGADISHU (HOL) – Somalia’s parliament added a new member into the 135-member elders who would have to elect new legislators for the upcoming parliament, a move many say went beyond the standard figure sanctioned by the country’s stakeholders.
Mohamed Ahmed Hussein (Shukri), a traditional elder from Reer Aw-Hassan clan was appointed to members of Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle elders by Mohamed Sheikh Osman (Jawari), Somali parliament’s speaker on Monday.
According to a memo obtained by Hiiraan Online from the Office of the Speaker of Parliament to the Electoral Commission, the addition was made in a bid to end a dispute within the clan. The memo revealed an internal conflict emerged within the new elder’s clan when some demanded the removal of their current representative, Suldan Mohamed Abdi Omar while others opposed the challenge.
It remains unclear whether the National Consultative Forum which is tasked with the selection of the traditional elders that’d select legislators would vote in favor of the new appointment.
The forum, made up of the President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud; the Prime Minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke; leaders of federal regions and clan elders have been working on the upcoming polls’ arrangements, and review the budget for elections.
On early September, elders are expecting to elect the 275 MPs who will take part in electing the president.
Somali government has recently announced that the election of a new president will take place on Oct. 30. The government had previously scheduled presidential elections in August, before the incumbent president’s term expires.
According to Somalia’s Provisional Federal Constitution, adopted in 2012, the mandates of the Somali Federal Parliament and of the government would come to an end in August and September 2016, respectively.
The international community which is spearheading efforts aimed at restoring peace and order into the Somalia which is recovering from decades of war mandated the current government to lead the country into general elections following the election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a new parliament and the adoption of a new constitution in 2012.