EDITORIAL: On the independence of Parliament, here is a message to President Mursal
EDITORIAL | It is not every day that we turn our fingers to the President of the House of Commons, Mursal Mohamed. But given the circumstances, he now holds the net and the knife for Somalia’s future.
Therefore, it was disappointing this week that a meeting convened to discuss Covid-19 emergencies had a sneaky agenda to discuss an extension of President Mohamed Farmaajo’s term.
It is bad for a house sanctified by law to be independent, to bring in motions intended for the benefit of individuals through sneaky agendas or railroad legislators.
But this week, Mursal twice called for a meeting to debate emergency response to Covid-19. Twice a section of parliamentarians demanded clarification on whether there would be a surprising agenda. Twice they were banned from attending in-house sessions.
Somalia is currently facing insecurity. A president whose term expired in February has not led the country to agree on a proper election period. Instead, his leadership style has been marked by mistrust, endless meetings and no agreement on how Somalia can get out of this.
Mursal, who speaks for the House of Commons, represents a collection of Somalia’s representative democracy, however weak some may see it. He took office after Mohamed Osman Jawari resigned following pressure from then-Prime Minister Hassan Khaire in April 2018. Jawari had been accused by the Farmaajo government of sabotaging an important legislative agenda by “violating house rules.” He had to go.
Mursal therefore represents an upgrade to better service for the Somali people. It is, of course, possible that his appointment now appears to have been a mistake. Nevertheless, he vowed to uphold the Constitution, which is why we must demand truth from him.
Mursal, whether he has his own political ambitions or the ambitions of his allies; must remember that the House of Parliament remains a good arm of government, independent of the executive, through which the people speak through and have their problems addressed. This should characterize the conduct of the House, whether or not the mandate of the current representatives has expired.
That Mursal tried to bend the house’s rules to meet Farmaajo’s demands is a signal that the house is no longer independent. It is true that Somalia’s Covid-19 wave is worrying. With an average of 120 new cases in March, reported cases have seen the number rise to 11,398 cases at the end of March, of which 529 deaths were recorded.
An urgent political solution is needed to reassure the country and ensure that there is sufficient security and cooperation to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine. But that solution cannot be found by bending rules, forcing stakeholders and interfering with the independence of institutions.
Somalia’s parliament remains the sole perfect control of the executive branch. Since Farmajo fails to create and support the independence of the judiciary, only our legislators can control his overly large hand. Mr. Mursal must not accept that it is used as a diet to sweep Somalia’s problems under the rug.
Any agreement on the election, and whether the country agrees on an extension, must be agreed through dialogue in which the parties present their views without intimidation.
We look forward to the houses of Parliament working for the benefit of the people of Somalia.
AXADLETM
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