Somali Deputy Prime Minister verbally attacks Speaker of Upper House.

 Sunday, November 08, 2020. The rift between the speaker of the upper house and the Farmajo government is still growing. The dispute is based on the selection of members of the electoral commission in some regional States. Somali Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed Guled has verbally attacked Speaker of the Upper House AbdiHashiAbdullahi for opposing the Northern Regions Electoral Commission appointed by Prime Minister Roble.

In an exclusive interview, Mahdi Guled described the Speaker of the Upper House as an opposition leader, noting that the Speaker had used anti-government rhetoric to disrupt the election process.

"The Speaker of the Upper House has issued a series of statements challenging the PM's selection of members for the Northern and Federal Electoral Commissions. All these statements show us that he is the Leader of the Opposition. Yes, he is the leader who representing opposition parties. He has weakened the power legislation because the legislature is a bicameral parliament. The upper house did not sit for a while, it is known how they are shouting” said Mahdi Guled.

Instead, the plan to select members of the electoral commission was criticized by some opposition members, describing that members of the national intelligence service and civil servants included the commissions. The government has also been accused of employing pro-Farmajo supporters. All of this indicates that the government is disrupting the electoral process and is a source of concern for all Somali political stakeholders. On the other hand, the Qatari government continues to intervene in the Somalia election process. It has now begun to merge with traditional elders in Somalia. The Qatari embassy in Somalia has met with Ugas Hassan UgasKhalifUgas Roble, a member of the Hawadle clan, to discuss sensitive issues related to the elections.

Among the issues discussed at the meeting were election issues and other lobbying projects. Qatari Ambassador to Somalia Hassan Hamza has promised important projects to the people of the Hiraan region, including fixing the recurring floods that affect the people of the region in recent times. That was explained by a plan to divide the Somali clans to seek support for Farmaajo by promising projects.

However, the government insists that it alone has the right to select members of the electoral commission. And there was a lot of ambiguity surrounding the selection process. Meanwhile, there is funding for anyone who is seen as supporting the government to run for parliament.