Somali Federal Parliament grills Security minister over legislative immunity

 

Members of Somali Federal Parliament have grilled Security Minister Abdirzaq Mohammed Omar on national security breaches and the immunity privileges extended to Federal Members of Parliament. Somali Interior and Federal Minister Abdirhman Odywa and the Federal Police commander, were also summoned by Parliament for questioning.

The move comes in the wake of President Hassan Sheikh Mahmud’s speech to Parliament in the aftermath of a terrorist mid-air attack at the Dallo Airlines.

His speech attracted a backlash from the Federal MPs. Addressing the legislators, the President called on them to go through security checks, as other ordinary citizens, at all the airport checkpoints while on transit.

The President’s pronouncement instead drew the ire of MPs with 50 of them submitting a no-confidence motion against the President.

During the grilling session, the security minister denied having given orders that compel the MPs to go through security checks: “Neither me nor the Police commander have given such orders” said Mr Omar.

His Interior and Federal counterpart stayed calm and composed throughout the session with few questions being shot his way.

The MPs sent a strong message to the security agents of the country, warning them against infringing on what they termed “our constitutional rights of legislature”.

The provisional Federal constitution grants the legislators a host of privileges including the right to access sensitive places unsearched.