S/land Mediators End Government & Parliament Deadlock

Hargeysa, August 25, 2007 (SL Times) – A group of prominent S/land figures announced on Monday that they have reconciled the long-standing dispute that divided the executive and the lower house of parliament over the national budget (2007) and the issue of the remaining National Election Commission (NEC) board nominees waiting for parliament’s endorsement.

The group, known as the arbitration committee, took the initiative to resolve the deadlock between the government and parliament as well as the issue concerning the detention and trial of Qaran party leaders.

The nine member committee, composed of poets, clerics, intellectuals and senior academics got the backing of the government and the lower house of parliament chair committee to resolve the deadlock.

They began their mediation efforts in the first week of August, holding extensive talks with the government, the lower house, and the two major political parties (Kulmiye and Ucid). The mediation committee managed to secure a consensus among all the stakeholders to accept a three point accord drawn up by the arbitration group.

This was made public by the arbitration group in a press statement issued on 20/08/07. The press statement said, “having listened, looked at and studied the different points of views and arguments held by the government, the chair committee of the lower house and the opposition, we have reached a three point accord and a set of recommendations which both the government and the lower house chair committee have accepted:

1. That the lower house of parliament will refer the two remaining election commission candidates (nominated by the upper house), to a vote in parliament.

2. That the government accepts to put into practice the endorsed amendments made by the lower house on the national budget 2007.

3. That the government will ‘unconditionally’ release the detained Qaran leaders and remove all restrictions in their movements and to resolve the issue of legitimacy concerning the status of their Qaran party in a civil and legal manner. In addition, the Qaran leaders should not get involved in activities which might endanger the peace and tranquillity of the country.

The arbitration group also addressed the government; a) to submit all treaties and agreements made to date with foreign firms and governments for parliament to ratify, b) that the government should submit on time the annual state audit and its accounts, c) that the government should produce and submit to parliament its political programs and policies, d) and the president should present the constitutional annual speech to parliament, e) all arrests and detentions should be executed according to the tenets of the constitution, f) in general, all state branches should perform and execute their duties within their defined constitutional limits and power.

The prominent group that arbitrated and reconciled the government and the lower house is chaired by the legendary Somali poet, Muhammed Ibrahim Warsame (Hadrawi), and includes Sh. Muhammad Omar Dirir, the great poet Muhammed Hashi Dhama (Gaariye), Sh. Ismail Abdi Hure, Sh. Yusuf Adan Muhammed, Prof Muhammed Saeed Gees, Prof Suleiman Ahmed Guled, Dr. Adan Yusuf Abokor and Saeed Ahmed Muhammud.

Source: Somaliland Times