Senate boycotts joint opening of Federal Parliament

The Senate is boycotting the joint reopening of the Federal Parliament slated for today, Goobjoog News has learnt.

Senator Hussein Sheikh Mohamud told Goobjoog News the Senators will be giving the session which is to be presided by President Mohamed Farmaajo a wide berth but did not cite any reasons.

“We are not attending today’s session and the Senate will not open today,” the Senator said. “We will clarify later the circumstances surrounding the boycott.” Another Senator who spoke on condition of anonymity said the Upper House will resume business Tuesday.

President Farmaajo is expected to open the fourth session of the federal parliament today.

The boycott comes amid a widening rift between the Federal Government and regional state administrations which declared Saturday they would be suspending working relationship with Mogadishu. The state leaders had among others called for strengthening of the Senate to effectively represent the interests of the federal member states.