Federal MPs: The agreement with Puntland is unconstitutional

Somali Federal MP Yusuf Mohammad Ali has lashed out Federal Government over the agreement with Puntland state on the electoral model for 2016.  Yusuf called the agreement as ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘unfair’.

The criticism comes days after Somali Federal government reached an agreement with Puntland state which settled the dispute over the August electoral model. ‘All points of agreement are against the constitution; it’s unacceptable and unrealistic and as the guardians of the constitution we will not accept this agreement,” said Ali.

He warned that Federal parliament will no way accept the agreement noting the Federal parliament sees all the 18 articles of the agreement as unconstitutional and it will therefore not adopt them.

Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohammed another Federal MP accused Somali Prime minister Omar Abdirashid of failing to respect the constitution and lurching towards Puntland ” As we know the prime minister should be the prime minister of all, but favouritism for his clan is now clear,” said Mohamed.

The Federal Government and Puntland last week signed an agreement which paved way for the 4.5 electoral model for the election of the Lower House members. Puntland had initially rejected the option sticking with the district based model which proposed the use of the 1991 districts as basis for electing members of the Lower House.