Somalia MPs demand August poll

President Kibaki poses for a group photograph with President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia at Harambee House. On the left is Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Internal Security minister George Saitoti (right). Somalia MPs are calling for presidential elections in August May 14, 2011. PPS

By LUCAS BARASA
Posted  Saturday, May 14 2011 at 14:32

Somalia MPs are calling for presidential elections in August.

At a meeting in Nairobi, the MPs accused Somali’s President and Prime Minister for opposing the polls in the pretext that it would divide the troubled nation.

Led by deputy Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia Mr Abdiweli Ibrahim Sheikh Mudey the MPs said the elections should be held as planned.

The polls, they added, should also include that of the Speaker and his deputy.

“We would like to seize this opportunity to express herewith our deepest dismay and disillusionment of the President’s and Prime Minister’s reluctance to abide by the decisions of the Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia adopted on February 3, 2011,” the MPs said in a statement.

They included Sheikh Mudey, MPs Mustafa Dhuhol, Awad Ahmed Ashareh, Osman Mokhtar, Abukar Abdi Oman and former Prime Minister Hassan Abshir.

The MPs have since extended their tenure by three years and said yesterday the PM and President had agreed to the proposal by the Constitution and Federal Affairs Committee that also sought the election of the Head of State and the Speaker before the mandate of Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) ends.

“The world is now dismayed and shocked to learn that the same Prime Minister of the TFG who had initially endorsed the Parliament’s decisions regarding the extension and the election, would now discredit himself by stating at the UN Security Council that the decision to extend Parliament’s term is unconstitutional,” the MPs said.

Speaking at Nomad Palace Hotel in Eastleigh, Nairobi, the MPs termed allegations that the TFIs were not consulted prior to the Parliament’s decisions as “unfounded and baseless.”

According to Somalia’s PM, there was progress in efforts to return Somalia to stability and that the elections would interfere with it and result to divisive campaigns.

The PM added that the Al Shabaab which is fighting the Somali government would capitalize on the divisions and try to strengthen its position.

The MPs said there was little progress on the ground and that areas that had previously been liberated by the previous governments had been taken over by militias.

“The road from the Port of Mogadishu via Debka to Bakara market is not currently accessible. Bondheere, the Ministry of Interior, the Italian Embassy located just 200 metres from Juba Hotel, Fiat, Lucciolo basketball court and the Old Port in Abdulazix are still occupied by Al Shabaab,” the MPs said.

They however said the African Union forces had recaptured the former premises of Ministry of Defence.

They said TFG troops that have reclaimed areas bordering Kenya and Ethiopia managed to do so through support of Sharmarke area authorities which had entered agreements with the two neighbouring countries.

“Besides, the troops that have recaptured areas of strategic importance in Gedo and Juba are the same troops that had been previously renounced, rejected and undermined by President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed,” the MPs said.