Somalia deputy speakers reject impeachment motion against President

The First and Second Deputy Speakers of the Somali Parliament Abdiweli Muuddey and Mahad Awad rejected the decision of the Parliamentary Speaker, Mohamed Mursal, to consider the impeachment motion tabled by 92 MPs in Mogadishu.

In a statement read out Mahad Awad said that they notified the Speaker of existing rules that bar parliamentary leaders from processing a political impeachment against an MP or the President.

“Our country doesn’t have a constitutional court that can deal with impeachment” Awad said.

“A similar impeachment motion was tabled against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud but it had not been processed due to absence of impeachment rules. We have told the Parliamentary Speaker that he would take responsibility for any political crisis caused by his decision to consider impeachment proposal from MPs.

The last impeachment attempt against a sitting president put on hold parliamentary work for six months”.
The rule cited by Muuddeey and Awad could foil impeachment motion tabled by Somali MPs. The Inter-State Council of Cooperation welcomed the impeachment motion against President Farmaajo.

By:Mohamed Duale, Editor-in-Chief, Horn Diplomat Email:Duale@Horndiplomat.com

© Horn Diplomat 2018