GAROWE (KAAB TV) – Puntland’s Minister for Interior and Federal Affairs, Abdi Farah Juxa, expressed dismay over President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s decision to amend the constitution.
The minister denounced the decision to give president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud extra powers and called his administration ‘to have lost legitimacy”.
“Today, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud broke the agreement that brought the Somali people together after the 1991 civil war. He canceled the constitution he was elected on and sworn in to respect. Today, he lost the legitimacy and the credibility of the Office of the President,” said minister Juxa.
This statement follows the Somali federal parliament’s passing of a controversial amendment to the country’s constitution.
The amendment, which grants additional powers to the president, was approved by MPs on Saturday.
Speaker of the Lower House Adan Mohamed Nur (Adan Madobe) announced the decision made by MPs from the bicameral parliament in Mogadishu.
However, despite the attendance of the Speaker and two deputies from the Lower House, the Upper House saw participation only from its deputies during Saturday’s session. Surprisingly, the Speaker Abdi Hashi Abdullahi, a notable pro-unionist figure, did not attend the session adding an intriguing dynamic to the proceedings.
However, significant opposition has already emerged against the constitutional changes, with Puntland, a key federal member state of Somalia, leading the dissent.
Reports from Garowe, the capital of Puntland, indicate that President Abdullahi Deni has called for an urgent cabinet meeting.
Sources suggest that tough decisions may be made regarding Somalia’s union and its federal system.
Puntland has been a staunch advocate for a devolved federal system since its formation in 1998.