Constitutional review process at stake as Parliamentary Committee and Hosh clash again

Parliamentary Constitutional Oversight Committee chair Senator Abdi Qebydiid said Monday the committee had lost confidence in Constitutional Affairs Minister Abdirahman Jibril. Photo: Goobjoog News|October 7, 2017

By T.Roble

The Parliamentary Constitutional Oversight Committee (OC) has accused the Constitutional Affairs Minister Abdirahman Hosh Jibril of what it termed as ‘personalizing and misleading’ the constitutional review process heralding another round of war between the two institutions barely four months after signing a memorandum of understanding to jumpstart the process.

In a statement released Monday signed by the joint OC chairman Abdi Qebydiid, the Committee said it had lost confidence in the minister and called on Parliament to take action against him.

The ten member committee noted a number of complaints against the minister in what could now throw the constitutional review and implementation process off balance even as the country awaits the completion of the exercise by next year.

The Minister, the Committee said had flouted rules of procedure and usurped powers of the Committee contrary to articles 133 and 134 of the Provisional Constitution.

Article 133 of the Provisional Constitution establishes the Oversight Committee whose task is ‘to oversee, direct and approve the work of the Review and Implementation Commission, and, generally, the implementation of the Constitution’. The subsequent article, (134) creates the Independent Review and Implementation Commission whose roles among others is to draft a proposed constitutional amendment and work with the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court to ensure the constitutionality of the proposals.

We regret cancellation of Constitutional Convention- Minister Hosh

The Qebydiid-led committee has also taken issue with what it termed as the minister’s withdrawal from the November MoU which came after another tussle. The MoU set out the terms and procedures for the review and implementation process revisiting the roles of the Ministry, OC and ICRIC.

ONE MAN SHOW

The Minister has further failed to facilitate the functioning of the ICRIC and OC but instead frustrated their working, the Committee said adding, the minister has single handedly managed the budget ear-marked for the Constitutional Review and Implementation process.

A month after the OC and ICRIC met with the President and Federal Parliament leadership last year, the Ministry announced a constitutional conference slated for October 10 drawing the anger of Federal Member States and the OC/ICRIC which declared they would boycott it terming the ministry’s move unilateral. The conference was cancelled.

The OC has also pointed fingers at Jibril who survived an impeachment motion last year for what they said ‘signing contracts with international organisations and the UN absent the knowledge of parliament adding, ‘he is bent on dragging the process and making it a government driven exercise.’

Parliament should take action against Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, the Committee recommended.

The development raises serious concerns about the fate of the Constitutional review and implementation process. President Mohamed Farmaajo pledged during his election last year to complete the process within two years. But with the tussle among the responsible organs, the process is likely to drag the longer jeorpadising hopes of a universal vote in 2020.