MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – The Second Deputy Speaker of Somalia’s 11th Federal Parliament, Abdullahi Omar Abshirow, announced that from now on, Members of Parliament will no longer be excused for being absent without permission, and their allowances will be reduced accordingly.
Abshirow stated that 149 MPs who failed to attend today’s session of the House of the People will have deductions applied to this month’s allowances, noting that they had already been issued multiple warnings.
The Deputy Speaker added that government members who were able to attend but chose not to will also be included among those facing deductions.
“We have enforced the by-laws that require allowance deductions for absent MPs. We were present for three hours, yet 126 MPs were missing. These MPs reside here in the capital, Mogadishu. Those who are absent without permission are violating their responsibilities as Members of Parliament and as government officials,” said Deputy Speaker Abdullahi Omar Abshirow.
Recent sessions of the 11th Parliament have frequently been delayed or suspended due to a lack of quorum.