Somali: MPs Vote to Extend Mandate
Mogadishu, Somalia
Members of Parliament in Somalia have voted to extend their term for the next three years, following last week's approval from the African Union . Out of the 435 legislatures present, 421 voted in favour of the extension, 11 voted against, with only three members abstaining from voting. The MPs current
term expires in August, as their extension has faced high criticism from the international community.
According to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) charter signed in 2004, parliament cannot pass legislation six month prior to end of its mandate. The TFG has been blamed for failing to enact a new constitution and organise for elections by August. Under the extended mandate, Parliament is expected to elect a speaker within the next four months and a president in July or August, who will form the
government. Somali's current President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is expected to contest for a re-election.
Parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan said parliament is expected to carry out huge reforms in order to serve the people of Somalia. He termed the extension as victory for future democracy in the country.
The Embattled Transitional Federal Government (TFG) controls only few strategic positions in the capital, owing to armed resistance from insurgent groups, which are seeking to establish Islamic rule in the country.
The AU Commission chief Jean Ping during the recent concluded summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia accused the Somali government of non-performance and failing to work towards bringing everlasting peace to the lawless state.
Earlier this week 17 people were killed and more than 30 others injured in Mogadishu, when government soldiers opened fire to each other outside a local hospital, in a dispute linked to shooting of a police officer by the hospital's armed guards.
Somalia has never had a functional government since dictatorial leader Siad Barre was ousted in 1991 coupe. The TFG is backed by the 12,000-strong UN mission to Somalia AMISOM troops who are mainly from Uganda and Burundi.
Tripoli, Libya
Libya’s Political Prisoners Freed
Twelve political prisoners were freed by Libyan authorities on Thursday after mediation by human rights group with links to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi.
The 12 who had been jailed in the 1990s for belonging to various banned political groups were released on Thursday afternoon after spending close to a quarter of their jail terms.
Chairman of the Human Rights Association Mohamed Ternish told Reuters news agency that six of the released were serving life imprisonment sentences and the others to jail terms of not more than three years. The released were said to be in their 20s and 40s.
Ternish said that the organisation has been pressing the release of the 12 prisoners, which he termed as a step by the group towards freeing the other remaining prisoners.
The Libyan online newspaper Qurna reported that the releases were attributed to efforts by the Libyan-based rights group under sponsorship of Saif al-Islam. Saif al-Islam's charity organisation-The Gaddafi Foundation announced in December that it was quitting politics, a move which analysts say was relenting on his fight for reforms against conservatives.
The Libyan government has largely been blamed for country's gross human rights violations which have been accustomed by arbitrary arrest and detention of political prisoners for long time without trial, under poor prison conditions. Independent rights groups in the country are prohibited, as freedom of speech, press, assembly and religion are restricted.
Muammar Gaddafi assumed into power in 1969 after leading a bloodless military coup against then country's leader King Idris, where he declared the country republic after abolishing monarchy rule. Last year, scores of political prisoners were released after years of jail for plotting his overthrow in 1996.