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Hargeysa,
Somaliland, September 12, 2009 (SL Times) – Police of Somaliland swarmed
into parliament after lawmakers fought among themselves and one drew a
pistol, a police officer said Wednesday.
The violence on Tuesday erupted over a motion to impeach the president
brought by opposition lawmakers and contested by supporters of the
president. Lawmakers backing the president in turn brought another
motion calling for the removal of the speaker of parliament.
"What happened today in parliament was a tragic incident; one of the
lawmakers drew a gun and tried to kill another lawmaker before the
police took control of the situation," Mohamed Adan Warfa, a Somaliland
police officer told AFP by phone Wednesday.
Opposition parliamentarians accused the president's supporters of
starting the fight by punching opposition lawmakers.
"They started punching each other and disrupted the scheduled
discussions so that the police forcefully closed the meeting hall and
everyone went home," said lawmaker Ibrahim Mahdi.
Police disarmed some lawmakers' security guards who were outside the
building "as a precautionary measure," Mohamed Adan Warfa said.
The incident which came amid political tension in the breakaway Somali
state shocked residents.
"I couldn't believe how bad it was - I saw lawmakers shouting as they
were pushed out of the parliament building by the police," witness
Osmail Ali Barqad told AFP.
On Wednesday all was quiet in the streets of Hargeysa, residents said.
Lawmakers are set to resume their debate on Saturday.
Tension has mounted in Somaliland after the postponement of the
presidential election scheduled for September 27.
The election has already been delayed twice, notably over a disagreement
concerning the voters' register.
President Dahir Riyale Kahin, in power since May 2002, is seeking
re-election but faces a stiff challenge from Faisal Ali Warabe, of the
Justice and Welfare Party, and Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud, of the
Development and Solidarity Party.
A former British protectorate, Somaliland broke away from the rump
Somalia 10 months after Somali strongman Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted
in 1991.
More stable and economically viable than central and southern Somalia in
recent years, Somaliland is seeking international recognition as an
independent state.
Source: AFP, September 9, 2009
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