Speaker has no powers to singly dissolve House Committees-MP

The first deputy speaker of the Lower House Abdiweli Mudey has declared the Budget and Finance Committee dissolved following its tabling of a controversial report on the 2018 budget.

Mudey said in a statement Wednesday the House leadership had resolved to dissolve the 17 member Committee citing conflict within the Committee and lack of cooperation among the members.

But Committee member Mahad Salad has dismissed the Speaker’s decision noting the dissolution of House Committees just like their formation is not based on a unilateral decision.

“The Speaker normally proposes members of the Committee in consultation with his deputies and approved by the whole House in accordance with article 56 (2) of the House Standing Orders,” said Salad.

The dissolution of the Committees, Salad said, follow the same procedure thus the decision of the speaker to unilaterally dissolve the Committee is ‘illegal and in violation of the Standing Orders.’

The Committee’s report on the execution of the 2018 budget suffered a major setback Thursday after second deputy speaker Mahad Awad declared it un-procedurally tabled and went ahead to halt debate shortly after Finance Minister Abdirahman Beileh made his submissions to the House.

Earlier, Salad accused the second deputy speaker of usurping the powers of the House and violating provisions of the House Standing Orders and the Constitution. He called for legal action against Awad and apology to the House by Speaker Mohamed Mursal.

In his letter addressed to the House dated November 28, Mudey said the House shall move on to elect new Committee.