Friday August 6, 2021
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Speaker of the Upper House of the Somali Parliament Abdi Hashi Abdullahi has questioned the Somali PM's neutrality in the dispute over Somaliland's regional electoral commission.
Chairman Hashi spoke in-depth on Thursday about the rift between two factions of politicians from the North - one led by Speaker Hashi, the other led by Deputy PM Mahdi Guled - and the PM Roble's role in the dilemma.
Hashi's comments come barely a day after PM Roble nullified the results of the previous commission election and ordered a new one to be held on Saturday.
Ahmed Safina, the federal electoral commission's spokesperson, confirmed that the vote is scheduled to take place on Saturday morning at the Afisioni tent.
Hashi added that he was threatened with removal by the PM if he did not actively participate in Saturday's electoral commission election.
"The prime minister called the four members I nominated (to the committee) and said, 'I (PM Roble) am responsible for the election. You must go to the polls, and if you do not vote, I will remove you. That is a threat by the PM, and it cannot be taken lightly," said Chairman Abdi Hashi.
In a show of solidarity, four members of the Somaliland SEIT who Hashi selected have also rejected Saturday's vote.
At a press conference in Mogadishu, the commission members said they would not run in the election until an agreement was reached.
Suleban Aided Osman, Abdishakur Abib Hayir, Jama Omar Ali, Mohamed Ali Abdullahi have called on the PM to exercise sound leadership and find an amicable and negotiated settlement.
PM Roble held a handful of private meetings in Mogadishu with Hashi and Guled in recent weeks, yet still, no deal was hatched. On Friday the Speaker suggested that Roble was favouring his Deputy PM.
On Monday, Hashi sent a letter to the PM to offer his solutions to the political impasse. He suggested that the PM recuse himself from the committee's organization and establish a joint commission as previously agreed in June 2020.
Full Speech: