The expected meeting of the People’s Assembly in Villa Hargeisa was cancelled this morning not long after it was opened.
Today’s meeting agenda was sent last night to the House of Representatives’ members to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the meeting was interrupted by a small, well-organized group of representatives alleging that the announced agenda hid another aimed at extending the mandate of the country’s constitutional institutions.
The Speaker of the Lower House, Mohamed Mursal, unable to keep order, adjourned the session when lawmakers from the opposition refused to sign the attendance log.
Some members of the House of Representatives later said that a small number of members of the People’s House disrupted the meeting and went as far as threatening Mr. Mursal.
The Speaker was escorted out of the House for his safety and has yet to share his reaction with the public.
MP Lul Abdi Aden, speaking to the media, said the same corrupt individuals who got rich behind the taxpayers did everything to cancel the session.
MP Mahad Salad, one of the rowdy MPs and active member of the opposition, accused President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo of being behind this failed attempt to extend his expired term.
These accusations were refuted by MP Khadijo Mohamed Diriye who said that signing the attendance log is a constitution’s quorum requirement to make it necessary for a simple majority of the House’s members to be present on the floor whenever the House conducts its business.
She also qualified the allegation of a hidden agenda as baseless.
MP Salad also added that “the militia” of Fahad Yassin, the head of national security, invested the corridors of the Chamber endangering the safety of the legislators.
MP Amina Hassan denied the statements from Mahad Salad, taking as witness journalists still present in Villa Hargeisa. She described these legislators as remnants of the former militiamen who destroyed the country.
The majority of MPs angered by this last development of a standoff on the elections were unanimous calling these actions “ugly”.
