Somali leaders increase number of Upper House seats to 72

Somali leaders have increased the number of seats in the Upper House to seventy two seats after two weeks of standoff.

A communiqué released on Sunday following the conclusion of the National Leadership Forum conference in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, the leaders agreed to increase the number of the Upper House seats with 18 more seats.

The distribution of Upper House seats previously allocated to each regional state has been increased with three more seats.

Somaliland and the semi-autonomous regional state of Puntland which disputed over the distribution of Upper House seats for Sool, Sanag and Ayn regions got 14 seats each.

The senatorial seats allocated for Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Southwest and Jubbaland were moved to 11 seats each.

This comes barely two days after politicians and elders from Somaliland community have issued a statement, demanding 33-percent quota in the upcoming Upper House chamber of the Federal Parliament, with reference to power-sharing accord between northern and southern Somalia back in 1960