MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s parliament descended into chaos on Wednesday after lawmakers tore up papers containing proposed additional constitutional amendments that had been tabled for approval in a controversial move spearheaded by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The disorder erupted shortly after MPs were presented with the agenda to debate the new changes introduced by the federal government. Proceedings quickly broke down, with shouting matches spreading across the chamber as some lawmakers blew whistles and disrupted the session.
Video footage from the hall showed the security minister, Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartag, who is also a member of parliament, exchanging punches with MP Hassan Firinbi, underlining the severity of the confrontation and the extent to which the proposed amendments have inflamed political tensions.
The opposition, along with the leaders of the federal member states of Jubaland and Puntland, has already demanded that the government nullify earlier constitutional changes approved by parliament under the current president. They argue that those amendments were pushed through without proper consultation or consensus.
As tensions escalated, MPs tore up the agenda papers, making it impossible for proceedings to continue. The speaker of parliament and his deputies subsequently walked out, abruptly bringing the day’s sitting to a close.
The incident highlights the deepening political rifts over constitutional reform and raises further questions about the government’s ability to steer the process amid growing resistance inside and outside parliament.
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