Anger in Somalia as lawmakers plot Farmajo ouster
Somali capital Mogadishu was Monday rocked by protests against the proposed impeachment of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo.
Groups of people had as early as 7am (local time), started marching along the main streets, shouting slogans against the motion that was proposed on Sunday by 93 legislators and received by the Speaker of the Lower House, Mr Mohamed Mursal.
The motion was made public by the Administrative Director of the Legislative House, Mr Abdikarim Haji Abdi Buuh, on Sunday afternoon. Hours later, the First and Second deputy speakers of the Parliament, Mr Abdiweli Sheikh Ibrahim Mudey and Mahad Abdalla Awad, respectively, termed the intended move illegal.
Lacks legitimacy
Mr Awad said: “The said motion against President Farmajo lacks legitimacy because Somalia has so far no constitutional court.”
He hinted that only a constitutional court had the powers to determine whether or not the president could be impeached.
“We believe that Speaker Mursal was angry at the time he accepted the motion,” Mr Mudey said, adding they did not know why he was angry and why he did not examine the legality of the motion.
Protesters, waving green leaves and sticks shouted, among other slogans: "We cannot accept nation-damaging motions."
Finance and budgets
"We cannot support Dollar-recipients," a suggestion that the motion was sponsored with money.
The sponsors of the motion claimed that the security situation had not improved under President Farmajo, and that he had entered into agreement with other parties, especially with Ethiopia and Eritrea, before they were scrutinised by parliament.
The problem started last week when Mr Mudey announced the dissolution of the parliamentary committee on finance and budgets.
The committee had earlier criticised the Finance ministry and the Municipality of Mogadishu for financial irregularity, a claim both rejected.