Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Lower House has cut the pay of an unspecified number of lawmakers who missed recent parliamentary sessions without authorization, intensifying efforts to enforce attendance rules.
Addressing lawmakers during Saturday’s sitting, House of the People Speaker Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur said the deductions were made in accordance with Parliament’s internal regulations.
- Advertisement -
Lawmakers who dispute the decision have 15 days to submit an appeal and request a legal review before the House, the speaker said.
“MPs are obligated to attend parliamentary sessions and fulfill their assigned responsibilities, and it is inappropriate for some MPs to consistently attend to their duties while others remain absent without fulfilling their obligations,” he said.
Nur said officials first verified attendance records before imposing the deductions, with the review carried out in coordination with the committee overseeing Parliament’s internal regulations.
He said lawmakers who had obtained official leave or faced documented special circumstances would receive separate consideration.
The parliamentary leadership would also rectify any administrative mistakes, he added, including cases in which a lawmaker was wrongly listed for a salary reduction.
“This measure is not intended to penalize lawmakers facing health issues or other special circumstances,” he said.
The move follows an earlier pledge by the speaker to sanction lawmakers who repeatedly fail to attend parliamentary sessions, including through salary deductions.
Nur said the decision remains subject to legal scrutiny and that lawmakers can use established procedures to file complaints or challenge the action.
Several parliamentary sessions have been cancelled in recent months after failing to reach the required quorum.
