FILE – Senegal’s Senate Speaker Abdi Hashi Abdullahi leads a session in the Upper House of the Federal Parliament
Mogadishu (AX) — A storm’s brewing in Somalia’s Upper House as Senate Speaker Abdi Hashi Abdullahi has declared that Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama’s Senate spot is kaput, all due to his repeated disappearing acts. Leaning on the constitution like an old friend, the Speaker stated that Mr. Jama’s four session no-shows sealed his fate and booted him from his seat. Ibrahim Suleiman Idle, who was neck-and-neck with Salah in the previous Senate showdown, is considered the successor as per Article 59(a) of the Provisional Constitution. A formal statement from the Speaker’s camp underscored that the next in line from the last election grabs the vacant seat. They also invoked the 2016 Indirect Elections Agreement concerning North Western State of Somalia and regions up north.
Not everyone’s on board, though. Several senators, led by the formidable Senator Osman Obokar Dubbe, are raising a ruckus. Dubbe asserts that Salah’s absence was down to official duties tied to his gig as Deputy Prime Minister and accused the Speaker of power-tripping by trying to chuck Salah out of the Senate unlawfully.
Due to this ruffled feathers, the Speaker put the brakes on swearing in Ibrahim Suleiman Idle, as the Upper House stood firm against voting out Salah Jama. Now, the whole situation’s as tangled as a ball of yarn, leaving the Senate seat hanging in limbo.
This debacle lays bare the deeper rifts in Somalia’s political machine, sparking convos about how parliamentary rules should be played out and who’s really calling the shots in the Upper House. Here’s where the intrigue unfolds.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
