Somalia: MPs fail again to meet for vote on motion ousting speaker

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia's Lower House Chamber of parliament on Wednesday failed again in a week to meet for a vote on an impeachment motion against the speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari, Garowe Online reports.

Wednesday's session was marred by chaos after a group of MPs supporting Jawari began inside the parliament building shouting “down to bribe takers” and blocked the Pro-PM lawmakers from holding their scheduled meeting.

The legislators walked out of the house, leaving behind Jawari's camp whose agenda was a debate on the construction of the disputed security wall construction on the border town of Balad-Hawo in Gedo by Kenya.

Speaking at a press conference in Mogadishu, Abdiweli Ibrahim Mudey, the first deputy of the parliament blamed Jawari and the second deputy for being responsible for the disruption and violating the parliament's procedures.

Mudey has called on Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and the constitutional bodies to probe into what happened today and to take action against the speaker and his second deputy Mahad Abdalla Awad.

The ongoing political crisis has sparked confusion and rocked the lower legislative chamber for the past weeks as MPs push for a motion aimed at ousting Jawari who has been at odds with PM Hassan Ali Khaire since mid-March.

The parliament is divided between supporters of the speaker and opposition camp. Jawari accused the prime minister of plotting the current motion against him to concentrate all powers in the country under the executive.

On Tuesday, the embattled speaker has vehemently rejected calls to resign ahead of the vote on the impeachment motion against him and blamed President Farmajo of being “partial” in the current dispute. 

The Upper House of Parliament has tried to mediate between the rival sides within the Lower House and bring an end to the impasse, the biggest political crisis since the Federal government took office a little over a year ago.

President Farmaajo has postponed a planned trip to Qatar last month to try and solve this crisis paralyzing his UN-backed fragile government as several ministers and deputies who are also MPs are involved in the motion against Jawari.

The International community voiced grave concern over the escalating political standoff and urged the country's leaders to respect the rule of law and the constitution in resolving the ongoing deadlock that risk derailing hard-earned political, economic, and security achievements and tarnishing the reputation of Somalia.

GAROWE ONLINE