Contest for interim Somali Parliament Speaker taints Immigration and Naturalisation Dept

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Contest for interim Somali Parliament Speaker taints Immigration and Naturalisation Dept

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) The heated contest on who will be chairing the first session of the recently selected Somalia Federal Parliament has now taken to a new direction.

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Gen Mahad Adan Abdirahman (left) and Ambassador Abdisalan Dhabancad (right).

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) The heated contest on who will be chairing the first session of the recently selected Somalia Federal Parliament has now taken to a new direction.

Cheating, lies and fake documents are being used to derail the system, with one senior immigration officer in Mogadishu saying that even "threats and harassment were used to obtain documents". This is not committed by ordinary people "It's being committed by top government officials," he adds.

General Mahad Abdirahman Adan (Commander of the Somali Custodial Corps) who became a Member of Parliament through a non-transparent corrupt selection process in Baidoa last month has now his passport changed to increase his age. General Mahad (popularly nicknamed as "Shub" for his derogatory statements on women and disabled people), is 67-yr-old but, according to immigration and naturalisation sources, he has now been extended to 20 years and is now 87-yr-old.

The passport change for General Mahad was instructed by president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo who seeks to nominate General Mahad from Harin / Rahanweyn clan (also father-in-law to South West State President Abdiaziz Laftagareen) as the interim Speaker of the 11th Federal Parliament of Somalia.

According to Article 65 (1) of the Provisional Constitution, the first session of the Parliament should be chaired by the oldest member of parliament. The interim Speaker will have the authority to manage the election of the Parliament Speaker and Deputies. Farmajo's camp is pushing to bring their favoured man to this seat.

Amid ongoing disputes over selection of the new lawmakers, the new parliament is expected to sit on 14 April, according to a schedule issued by the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (FIEIT).

For his part, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble himself ordered that the passport of Abdisalam Dhabancad from the Habagedir/Sa'ad clan be amended. The 78-year-old ambassador, is widely regarded as the oldest lawmaker of the new federal parliament but only if General Mahad's fake age is revoked. According to immigration officials who spoke to Horn Observer, Dhabancad's age has been extended by 10 years. He will thus be 88-yr-old.

To his sadness, the leader of the Jubbaland State, Ahmed Madobe, failed to get age amendment for his preferred candidate, General Shahiyow (from the Geledle/Mirifle clan). The former military general Shahiyow whose corrupt (s)election took place in Kismayo is 67-yr-old. The Director of Immigration has turned down the age change request for General Shahiyow.

"This is a misuse of government system and abuse of the rule of law by the top officials for their own greedy interests," says Ahmed Mohamud, a Mogadishu-based lawyer.