Somalia: New Parliament assumes legislative authority, says Federal MP

MOGADISHU, Somalia- Former second deputy Speaker and new MP in the 10th Federal Parliament of Somalia, Mahad Abdulle Awad, stated the new Parliament has assumed legislative mandate following inauguration event in the capital Mogadishu on Tuesday, Garowe Online reports.

The 282 legislators sworn in comprised of 242 MPs of the Lower House and 41 Senators of the Upper House. The ceremony took place at the General Kahiye Police Academy in Mogadishu.

Awad said the Federal Parliament has assumed the legislative responsibility of the country, and in the coming days it will convene its first parliamentary sessions.

However, he commended the National Leadership Forum (NLF) – comprises of leaders of the Somali government and regional states- for their role to ensure political transition in the country, but revealed the Federal Parliament is the sole institution mandated to oversee the upcoming presidential election.

Earlier, NLF has imposed conditional fee of $30,000 and endorsement from 20 Federal MPs on the candidates who are willing to compete for the top office of the country.

Awad noted that during the presidential election in 2012 candidates paid $10,000, however, the new Parliament will decide on the set of conditions for the presidential hopefuls. He said that Somali leaders have no authority over the forthcoming Somali election scheduled in January 2017, as the new parliamentarians have sworn in.  

The conditional colossal fee was opposed by opposition presidential aspirants, who accused Somali leaders of office abuse and public funds misappropriation to favor their presidential campaign at the detriment of other presidential hopefuls.

The new lawmakers are set to elect the new Speakers of Lower and Upper Houses in secret ballots, which will follow by a similar process for the new Somali President.

GAROWEONLINE