Parliament Fails to Hold Session Yet Again Due to Lack of Quorum

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: The Somali Parliament yet again failed to reach the required quorum required to take legislative action after nearly all members of the Lower House failed to turn up for Saturday’s meeting scheduled to debate on the draft bill of the National Intelligence and Security Agency, passed by the cabinet last week.

Speaker of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament, Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur (Adan Madobe) warned Somali MPs who miss Parliament sessions without acceptable reason that they would face disciplinary action.

This is the third time that the opening session of Parliament is being adjourned after the members of the honorable house failed to turn up in the first and second session in what the MPs had faulted security concerns as the reason they gave the session a wide berth.

Before Somalia’s parliament can take any legislative action,  it requires at least two-thirds of its members — that is, 184 MPS — to be present before Parliament can take legislative action.

Parliament’s performance is bound to be affected negatively as a result of the institution’s sluggish performance as several crucial laws need to be passed, especially given the country’s current uncharted circumstances, with challenges like drought and insecurity needing Parliament’s full focus.