Oversight Committee rubbishes ‘Mudey constitution’ affirms August 2012 law
The Joint Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Constitutional review and Implementation has raised concerns over a draft constitution distributed by Lower House speaker Abdiweli Mudey last week warning the document in circulation was causing confusion among Somalis.
The Senator Abdi Qebydiid-led committee rubbished the document affirming the Provisional Constitution adopted by the 9th Parliament in 2012 is the only official supreme law of the country
“We are cognizant of concerns in the public about the existence and validity of the Constitution,” the committee said in a statement to newsrooms Saturday.” We are making it clear that this Constitution is a real one that the council of elders approved August 1, 2012 and handed over to the 9th Parliament.”
The remarks from the 15 member committee come days after Mudey distributed a draft constitution which he had sensationally claimed be ‘lost’ to members of parliament.
The committee said Saturday the document was later amended to build on the current Provisional Constitution raising questions as to what the motive and intentions of bringing it back to the House were.
“We have seen another constitution circulating around claimed to be real and distributed in parliament April 25th. That was a draft constitution and was amended by the elders and the technical committee.”
The committee added all the national institutions in the country derive legitimacy from the current constitution.
“The existing national institutions are derived from this Constitution and members of these institutions have taken oath of allegiance through this constitution,” the committee added
The ‘Mudey constitution’ sets a presidential term to five years unlike the current one which ties it to four years.