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By Alan
Boswell
Nairobi, September 12, 2009 – The president of Somaliland has forcibly
closed the country's parliament after it began debating impeachment
charges against him, just a few days after elections were indefinitely
postponed. The speaker of Somaliland's Lower House of Parliament accuses
of the Somaliland's leader of dictatorship.
Security forces controlled by Somaliland President Dahir Riyale stormed
into the parliament on Tuesday and removed the members. Since that time,
security forces have locked up the parliament building and refused
access to legislators.
Tensions flared up in the Lower House of Parliament after the body's
legal advisor ruled that an impeachment motion from a member of
parliament was constitutional and could be debated. The ruling resulted
in a physical scuffle allegedly instigated by members loyal to the
president.
After one member of parliament, known for being a staunch ally of the
president, brandished a gun, police moved in and forcibly adjourned the
meeting.
The speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Abdurrahman Abdillahi,
accused the president of purposefully orchestrating the brawl in order
to justify stopping the impeachment proceedings.
"The plan was just either the motion would stop, or the parliament
building would be confiscated by the security forces of the president.
We have requested the president to remove these units from the
parliament building, but there was no heeding," he said.
The president's move is just the latest in a string of actions that
critics point to in accusing the Somaliland leader of abuse of power and
systematic disregard for the law of the land.
Earlier this week, the election commission indefinitely postponed
elections schedule for later this month, citing the deteriorating
political environment and the president's decision to hold the poll
without voter registration lists. It was the third announced delay of
the vote that was originally supposed to take place 17 months ago.
A term extension granted to President Riyale is set to expire in
October.
The speaker of the Lower House said the leader is turning the office of
the presidency into a dictatorship.
"We think these are the characteristics of an immanent dictator. He does
not respect the constitution, he does not respect the laws, and that is
the normal characteristics of an immanent dictator," he said.
The Somaliland MPs have announced they and their staff will attempt to
peacefully re-enter the building Saturday. The speaker said if this
action fails, they will just keep trying until the situation is
resolved.
Watchdog groups fear the political crisis in Somaliland is threatening
the existence of its young democracy, rare in a region marred with
conflict.
The territory declared its independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991
after the country's last functioning central government toppled. But the
rest of the world has yet to recognize its statehood.
Source: VOA, September 10, 2009
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