Somalia: New Parliament Sworn in
By Staff Writer
MOGADISHU--Somalia’s new parliament was sworn in on Monday, bringing officially into an end the UN-backed transitional government, in a new roadmap that is considered to end the country’s long-standing conflict.
The 200 members of parliament selected by a group of 135 traditional elders were sworn in at a ceremony held on the tracks of the capital, Mogadishu’s airport that was heavily guarded by African Union troops.
The swearing-in ceremony was held on the airport tarmac instead of the usual parliament building, citing fear of attacks by the al-Shabab Islamist militants. Parliament’s interim speaker Musa Hassan Abdallah had appealed for the first symbolic session to be moved to a safe haven over security threats from the al-Qaeda-linked group.
The lawmakers have said that the delayed process of electing a new president would begin in a few days, as various candidates face-off a fierce contest to replace the outgoing President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
As soon as possible we will have elections for the speaker, and then the president, in the next few days or weeks," said Hussein Arab Isse, a lawmaker and defence minister in the previous government.
"Somalis have been through over 20 years of chaos... people are ready for a new day in Somalia," he added.
Some 75 more in the 275 members full of the new parliament are yet to be selected pending decision by a “technical selection committee” from a list prepared by the traditional elders. The selection of other has been hampered due to inter-clan arguments, while about 70 other were rejected for failing to meet requirements of innocence of crimes committed during the civil war period.
In a joint statement issued on Sunday, the UN, African Union, United States and European Union hailed transition process as an “unprecedented opportunity for greater peace and stability”, despite the delays.
"The conclusion of the transition should mark the beginning of more representative government in Somalia," added the statement also signed by Norway, Turkey and East Africa's main diplomatic body IGAD, among others.
However analysts have criticised the process arguing that it offers little but just a reshuffle of positions.
The International Crisis Group said on Monday that “the current political process has been as undemocratic as the one it seeks to replace, with unprecedented levels of political interference, corruption and intimidation."
Already bitter arguments stand between contenders for the presidency, who are divided along Somalia’s fractious clan lines. Incumbent president Sharif who has been in power since 2009 is the likely favoured in the election that will also choose a parliament speaker and his two deputies through secret ballot.
Somalia has never had stable government since ousting of dictatorial leader Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 that saw the onset of decades long bloody civil war, fueled by inter-clan feuds.
The outgoing Transitional Federal Government (TFG) propped by the 17,000-strong AU forces has faced patterns insurgency from militant groups and mainly the Islamist al-Shabab that seeks to impose Islamic rule all over Somalia.
Military operations by the AU troops has seen certain strategic territories including the capital, Mogadishu, returned to the hands of the government forces, as it continues to battle out in other regions in the south and central Somalia which are under the militants.