Fifteen members of Somali Lower House parliament have been suspended from the next five sessions for what the parliament leadership said was obstruction of Saturday’s parliament session.
In a letter addressed to these lawmakers, Mohamed Abdirahman Mursal, the speaker of the Lower House said due to the disruption by these MP, the session to discuss COVID-19 called off.
The suspension came hours after number pro-opposition MPs cause major disturbance to prevent the opening of one the few of the sessions held since the mandate of the parliament lapsed last December.
According to the agenda sent to the MPs in the previous day, the house was to discuss the situation of COVID-19 but the pro-opposition claimed that they feared the session was meant to vote for president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo’s term extension.
The suspension was opposed by former Security Minister who was among the lawmakers suspended from the next five sessions, claiming the speaker has no authority to discipline MPs.
“The speaker has no respect 4 the rule of law & is abusing the entrusted authority to act an arbiter.Members of parliament have immunity from any disciplinary action while in the house. In the event of disruption in the house the speaker can close the session as per article 16(4),” Abdirisack Mohamed, said.
The development comes as the regional state leaders have gathered at a hotel in Mogadishu airport to discuss ways to break the current political gridlock in the country.
