Somalia: Somaliland parliament speakers shake hands after punch-ups
-
- Posted On 27-09-2015, 02:16PM
HARGEISA, Somalia, September 27, 2015 (Garowe Online)-Somaliland parliament speakers for the first time shook hands in the house, apologizing to the Members of Parliament and the people, Garowe Online reports.
Speaker, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) and his deputy, Bashe Mohamed Farah opted for the unprecedented hand-shake in parliament after they traded blows on the eve of a vote on motion seeking the privatization of fuel depots in Berbera port city on September 12.
The punch-ups thought to have been initiated by Irro-also opposition party, Wadani leader-set off a firestorm of criticism.
Farah was among a group of MPs from ruling Kulmiye party that tabled the motion.
Chaotic brawl flared up, with opposition lawmakers and motion backers exchanging punches.
The scuffle marked the second in Somaliland in two years.
Somaliland, located in northwestern Somalia, declared its independence from the rest of the country as de facto sovereign state in 1991 but it has not been recognized internationally yet.
GAROWE ONLINE
