Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister, Salah Ahmed Jama, has condemned his removal from the Upper House of Parliament, calling it an unconstitutional and illegal act.
The challenge comes in response to Senate Speaker Abdi Hashi Abdillahi's decision, who argued that Jama had vacated his seat after missing four consecutive parliamentary sessions. Jama, however, asserts that his absences were justified due to his national duties as Deputy Prime Minister.
In a statement on October 13, Jama described Speaker Hashi's actions as an overreach of authority, stating that the Speaker's attempt to remove him and replace him with an unelected individual was a violation of constitutional procedures. "It is alarming that the Speaker would attempt, in an overtly unconstitutional and illegal manner, to remove a duly elected Senator," Jama said.
He emphasized that his role as Deputy Prime Minister comes with extensive responsibilities that occasionally prevent him from attending all parliamentary sessions, but he noted that his absences were permitted under Article 59(d) of the Provisional Constitution, which allows for justified absences.
Jama also refuted claims that he had been entirely absent, stating that he had attended several Upper House sessions as well as joint parliamentary meetings.
Jama's dismissal has ignited a significant political divide within the Upper House. Several senators, including Senator Osman Obokar Dubbe, have rallied behind Jama, arguing that his absences were legitimate given his high-level responsibilities. Dubbe led the opposition against Speaker Hashi's decision, accusing him of undermining Jama's national duties and exceeding his constitutional powers. "The decision to remove Jama ignores his national duties and exceeds the constitutional powers of the Speaker," Dubbe said.
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However, Speaker Hashi defended his actions, citing Article 59(a) of Somalia's Provisional Constitution, which stipulates that senators automatically lose their seats if they miss four consecutive sessions. Hashi also referenced the 2016 Indirect Elections Agreement, which governs the allocation of Senate seats for Somaliland and northern regions, to justify nominating Ibrahim Suleiman Idle, Jama's competitor in the previous Senate election, as the next qualified candidate to take Jama's seat.
Despite Hashi's justifications, the Upper House refused to hold a vote on Jama's removal, delaying the swearing-in of Idle as his replacement. This move has left the matter unresolved and raised serious concerns about the Speaker's authority and the legal process of removing elected senators.
