Chaos erupt in Somalia's parliament as new speaker assumes office

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Chaos erupted in Somalia's Lower House on Saturday as a number of legislators protested when new MPs mainly from El-Wak and Garbaharey made entry, leading to a temporary standstill as House leadership restored order.

Somalia's 11th parliament elected Aden Sheikh Madobe as the new speaker earlier this week, effectively paving way for the election of the new president. Farmajo is set to defend his seat after the conclusion of the House leadership elections.

The MPs elected in El-Wak and Garbaharey [32] have been a thorny issue, with Villa Somalia accused of creating the disorder. But despite their election to parliament, the MPs were not allowed to participate in elections of the House leadership teams.

In one of the clips making rounds on social media, a female MP is heard condemning the presence of her new colleagues, terming them dangerous. It's not clear who the MP supports [whether Villa Somalia or Somalia's opposition].

"We're not safe. People [Garbaharey MPs] with no IDs were brought into the house," said the female lawmaker, asking the security and protocol of the house to remove the MPs and not allow them to get into the chambers at Villa Hargeisa.

Earlier, new speaker Aden Sheikh Madobe, said he will work closely with all members of the House irrespective of their political affiliations. "I do not belong to any particular party. From today I will focus on resolving the minor issues fairly."

The MPs insisted they accessed the chambers legitimately, adding that they were being discriminated against for no good reason. Outgoing President Farmajo had differed with Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe over the election of the MPs in Gedo.

GAROWE ONLINE