Somali Lawmaker Warns of Holding Alternative Parliamentary Session Amid Ongoing Shutdown
Mogadishu (AX) — Picture the halls of power veiled in silence, a silence heavy with the weight of political trepidation. Somali lawmaker Abdirashid Hidig offers a stark warning: if the House of the People stays shuttered, legislators might resort to holding their own sessions, parallel and unauthorized. A drastic measure, indeed, but Hidig has pointed fingers at certain political leaders, accusing them of intentionally crippling parliamentary operations. This dialogue invites us to ponder: in a land rife with challenges, what price does democracy pay for such stagnation?
Last week at a gathering with Himilo Qaran Party’s officials, Hidig painted a picture tinged with frustration. With February 6 once marked as the day parliament would awaken from its slumber, that day came and went. But those at the helm, wary of a possible no-confidence motion, seem to have pressed pause indefinitely. A curious yet perilous roadblock. “Can it be justified, for a mere handful to drag the legislative body into inertia due to fear of losing grip?” Hidig mused aloud, his tone firm yet lingering with discernable disquiet. “We’ve signed our motion, and yes, we will move forward, adhering to legal paths. A room will be found, even if improvisation becomes our ally.”
A ripple of discord has coursed through Somalia’s political fabric as opposition representatives stand at odds with Speaker Sheikh Adan Madobe. Allegations of him veering too closely to the executive’s embrace are rife, sparking memories of similar stalemates that have derailed governmental machinations before. Such bouts of legislative paralysis only serve to widen the crevasse between federal and dissenting voices—a dance as old as time, perhaps, but no less impactful in its current prelude.
Hidig did not shy away from casting light on another grievance—one that treads into even stormier waters. A grim nod was made towards the deployment of Somali National Army (SNA) troops. A murmur intoned with gravity: could these forces, the nation’s bastions of safety, be turned against political dissenters? Particular tension brews in Jubaland, where federal and regional leaders gaze at one another through lenses marred by mistrust. Here, Hidig’s words echo hauntingly, and with a resolve that one finds hard to ignore: “A nation built on might to stifle its critics cannot hope to find authentic peace. We shall resist if pushed too far.”
This episode comes amid burgeoning anxiety over Somalia’s electoral mechanisms. As regional entities and political opponents clamor for transparency, the urgency for clarity on governance and security looms ever larger. The path forward seems obscured by a fog of ambiguity—not quite visibility’s ally—and yet, time waits for no constituency. Hopes that an imminent legislative congregation would untangle these issues now hang in careful balance, teetering dangerously as delays contemplate a permanence in their stay.
But await with bated breath, for officialdom stays mum; parliamentary leadership has yet to wave any white flag or display intended action. Will we soon witness lawmakers boldly forge their parallel path, escalating this political standoff? The onlooking world can only watch as the sand flows serenely through the hourglass, each grain echoing the pulse of a nation at the crossroads.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring
