#Somali parliament speaker

[beardedmrbean]

Ilta-Sanomat is among the morning papers reporting on a housing market review by the Nordea banking group which shows that housing costs have risen by 25 percent since 2020, while earnings have risen by only 12 percent.

Nordea attributes the rise in costs to a number of factors, starting in 2022 with higher energy costs, when both electricity and heating prices rose.

Although the price of electricity has fallen from its peak, it still accounts for four percentage points of a 25 percent cost increase. Higher water and waste disposal costs have pushed up total housing costs by around two percentage points.

Nordea calculates that renters have had it easier than owner-occupiers, as rents have risen by only seven percent in four years. However, rising electricity and water bills have also hit renters' wallets.

Owner-occupiers and landlords have taken the hardest hit as interest rates have risen. These items account for more than half of the rise in housing costs. In addition, renovation costs for owner-occupied housing have risen, increasing housing costs by four percentage points.

Ilta-Sanomat does, though, point to some good news in the report. Housing costs have started to show a decline in part due to slightly lower interest rates.

Electricity remains pricy

Most papers remind readers that spot prices for electricity will again be unusually high on Thursday.

According to an STT news agency report, Thursday's prices are projected to be at their highest between 9am and 10am, topping 43 cents per kilowatt-hour.

The average price per kilowatt-hour for the day is likely to be over 23 cents. The lowest spot price, just over 6 cents per kWh, is expected to be seen between 11pm and midnight. This is the same as the average price over the previous 12 months.

The Olkiluoto nuclear power plant's number two reactor is still under repair, but is expected to start up at limited power on Sunday. The number one reactor at the Loviisa nuclear power plant is undergoing annual maintenance, which is due to end on Friday.

Wind power production is expected to remain at a low level on Thursday.

The economic and business daily Kauppalehti describes the electricity market as a "complex tangle", where it is up to consumers themselves to cut power use if they want to minimise their bills.

Kauppalehti writes that the construction of a weather-proof electricity grid, the significant increase in renewable energy, and the decline in the use of fossil fuels have changed the electricity market dramatically.

The paper predicts that fluctuations and spikes in electricity prices, both up and down, will continue to be commonplace in coming years.

Keeping a dignified chamber

Helsingin Sanomat reports that parliamentary leaders intend to have a serious discussion on the etiquette of debates.

The paper writes that next Friday, the Speaker's Council, a body comprised of the Speaker, Deputy Speakers and committee chairs will sit down with party leaders to discuss what kind of interjections can be made from the floor during speeches by MPs.

The issue has come up in the wake of an incident late last month. At that time, the opposition Social Democratic Party, Antti Lindtman, was criticising the government's employment policies during an address in Parliament. When he briefly reiterated his statement in Finland's second national language, Swedish, a voice called out, "Can we get that in Arabic, too?".

"Swedish is our other national language and I ask that it also be respected in this hall," Lindtman responded.

The heckler was Finns Party MP Jenna Simula, a 35-year-old first-term MP from Oulu, who later said that her interjection referred to recent news that Yle would be offering news in Arabic and Somali.

HS points out that in principle, an MP has broad freedom of speech and expression in plenary sessions. According to the Constitution, a Member of Parliament may not be prosecuted for opinions expressed in the hall unless censured first by a five-sixths majority.

The Constitution also stipulates that a Member of Parliament must speak with soundness and dignity and without insulting others.

Simula has now told Helsingin Sanomat that she hopes that her remark will not lead to restrictions on what kind of comments can be shouted out in the chamber.

"I don't think it makes sense that an MP should start overthinking every heckle or comment. That would impoverish the debate," Simula wrote in a text message to HS.

Asked by the paper what she would like to say to those Swedish-speaking Finns who are offended by her heckling, she replied, "The interpretation is wrong, so Swedish speakers have no reason to worry about my heckling."

Cold and colder

The weather is set to turn dramatically colder this week, Iltalehti tells readers.

Nighttime temperatures are forecast to be colder than usual for this time of year, dropping to around zero or below on Thursday and Friday in most parts of the country, and possibly as low as -10C in Finnish Lapland.

Daytime temperatures will be between 8C and 13C in most parts of the country for the rest of the week.

On Thursday, central and northern Lapland will see snow, up to about 5 centimetres in some places and sleet.

[pr-observer]

Somali Parliament Speaker hosts Djibouti delegation in Mogadishu

http://dlvr.it/SwBL2H

[timesofocean]

Somali parliament elects Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as president

New Post has been published on https://www.timesofocean.com/somali-parliament-elects-hassan-sheikh-mohamud-as-president/

Somali parliament elects Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as president

Mogadishu (The Times Groupe)- Somali lawmakers from both houses of parliament gathered in a hangar inside heavily fortified Mogadishu International Airport Sunday to elect Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as president, defeating incumbent Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmajo.

214 out of 327 votes were cast for Mohamed’s immediate predecessor, Mohamud.

Somali parliament speaker Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nuur Madobe, who announced the results, said the incumbent president received 110 votes, while three votes were disqualified.

Three rounds and 36 candidates took part in the election, which was very tense.

In his concession speech, Mohammed said, “I thank all of the members of parliament who voted for me and those who did not vote for me.”

In the minutes following the announcement of the results, Mohamud was sworn in and thanked his predecessor for the peaceful transfer of power.

[somalilandcurrentnews]

Last Words of Late Khadra Dahir Eggeh to Somaliland Politicians and Youth

Last Words of Late Khadra Dahir Eggeh to Somaliland Politicians and Youth

Khadra Dahir Eggeh, one of the most famous Somali singers in modern history, passed away at the International Hospital and was laid to rest in Hargeisa Saturday. His Excellency the Vice President of the Republic of Somaliland, the Speakers of the nation’s bicameral parliament, the Chief Justice, the leaders of the two opposition parties, traditional leaders, government ministers and a huge mass…

[hurricanehenry]

#PMDoolittle is switching it up for the weekend! Instead of taking another Private Day today, he's taking a "Personal" Day today! So much for Justin Trudeau being eager to get to work on your priorities after the election.” Is there not a journalist in the entire country to ask the feds what they did with 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine donated by a top Canadian Pharma to fight Covid?/Apotex Two Million Dosages of Hydroxychloroquine to Public Health Agency of Canada https://www1.apotex.com/global/about- When Parliament does return, MPs will need to elect a speaker, set up committees, and there will be a throne speech, meaning that all time will be taken up with housekeeping rather than business of the nation. Trudeau government is perpetually on vacation. General who replaced senior officer accused of sex assault is now himself under investigation for sexual misconduct FireTrudeau #TrudeauHasGotToGo calgarysun.com Guest Opinion: Equalization cost Alberta $67 billion. What has it bought? Hostility No Wonder Canada Is In The Shape it Is .. Seriously After everything that has happened, re-elected with 1/3 of the votes, this government seems capable of surviving any disgrace, any scandal. All we can do is bear witness. Well done, cbcfifth Is there any General or Admiral in the CAF not involved in sexual misconduct allegations..should let HarjitSajjan know because military keeps promoting leaders who have to step down. I challenge JustinTrudeau to drink out of Iqaluit's water taps, and all other taps across these lands that have a water boil advisory. After all, your father told my family that we would always be treated like Canada's. This is a lie by the CBC. The British MP was stabbed by by a Somali immigrant and it's been classified as terrorism. CBC Politics CBCPolitics Canadian politicians warn of political violence after U.K. MP is stabbed to death | CBC News https://cbc.ca/news/politics/david-amess-canadian-reaction-1.6213606?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar… by nickjboisvert Politicians who recently travelled now have a message for Canadians: Don’t travel theglobeandmail.com Opinion: Politicians who recently travelled now hav . https://www.instagram.com/p/CVGr3n1F7ko/?utm_medium=tumblr

[nipashe411]

Somali MPs vote to extend president’s term for two years

Somali MPs vote to extend president’s term for two years

Somali MPs vote to extend president’s term for two years Mogadishu, Somalia, April 13 – Somalia’s lower house of parliament on Monday voted to extend the president’s mandate for two years, after months of deadlock over the holding of elections in the fragile nation. But the speaker of the Senate upper house, which would normally have to approve the legislation, immediately slammed the move as…

[warsameblog]

SPA COMMENTARY ON THE SOMALI ELECTORAL MODEL

Somalia’s Electoral Conundrum: An Alternative to the Mogadishu Model This commentary explains the current impasse around elections in Somalia and proposes a potential alternative to the indirect elections of the September 17 ‘Mogadishu Model’ (which now appears unworkable). This alternative involves the extension of the Somali Parliament’s mandate for 2 years and the election of new speakers.…

[drev-the-ambassador]

EDIT: I don’t know if it’s just me, but the pictures in this post didn’t seem to be working properly on the mobile app at first. If the pictures are all over the place and don’t seem to be getting back to normal, you might have better luck trying the web page version!

So, in case no one noticed, I haven’t made a post in a looong time. That is due to a combination of a crappy computer, lack of time and also a bit of laziness. Originally I wanted to make this post the first post on the blog, but that didn’t end up happening. While trying to answer one sports-related ask I, seeing as the post was taking forever since I had to do a lot of research and on top of that, I had to write in proper sentences, I decided it would probably be for the best to make a quick post, a list perhaps, of some basic things about Finland. So I did. It’s this post. The reason it has taken me so long to get this done is that originally I also had a history portion, but it ended up making the post too long. I then decided it would be better to make that into its own post, so I settled on making a condensed version on this one. 

Turns out, condensing 800 years of history into one post and keeping it at a reasonable length is not such an easy task. Huh, who would’ve thought? That means that you’ll be getting THREE separate posts about general Finnish history! Awesome right?

Anyway, this is not that post. This is just some basic stuff, and pictures. So, without further ado:

Some basic things about Finland

Name of the country: Suomen tasavalta (the Republic of Finland)

Location: Fennoscandia (not Scandinavia!!), Northern Europe

Edit made by me (as you can see from the top notch quality), but the map is from here Neighboring countries: Norway to the north, Sweden to the west, Estonia to the south on the other side of the Gulf of Finland, Russia to the east.

Official languages: Finnish and Swedish (technically Finland Swedish) Minority languages (mentioned in the law): Karelian, Northern Sami, Skolt Sami, Inari Sami, Finnish Romani, Finnish Sign Language and Finland Swedish Sign Language.

Languages with the most speakers: 1st: Finnish (4 865 628 people/88,7% of total population[as of 2015]) 2nd: Swedish (290 161/5,3%[2015]) 3rd: Russian (~75 000[as of March of 2017, same with the ones below]) 4th: Estonian (~49 500) 5th: Arabic (~21 700) 6th: Somali (~19 000) 7th: English (~18 500)

President: Sauli Niinistö, 12th president of Finland. in 2018 there’ll be a new presidential election, but he’s running for president again, and there’s quite a good chance he’ll get elected again.

Here’s our current president with his wife Jenni Haukio and their dog, Lennu, the first dog of Finland.

Currency: Euro since 2002. From 1860 until 2002 Finland had it’s own currency, markka. 1 euro is approximately 6 markkas.

Population: 5 503 297 as of 2016

Population density: 16/km2

Size: Area: 338 424 km2 Length: ~ 1 200 km Width: ~ 550 km

Number of lakes: 187 888

Number of islands: 179 584

Religion: 72,0 % Evangelical Lutheran 1,1 % Orthodox Christian 1,6 % other 25,3 % none

Important holidays: Vappu 1.5. Juhannus 20.6.-26.6. on a Saturday Itsenäisyyspäivä (Independence day) 6.12. Joulu (Christmas) 24.12. is celebrated more than 25.12. Uudenvuodenaatto (New Year’s eve) 31.12.

Other holidays: Laskiainen (Shrove Tuesday) Seven weeks before Easter. Pyhäinmiestenpäivä (All Saints’ Day) 31.10.-6.11. on a Saturday, NOT Halloween, we don’t celebrate it here. P��äsiäinen (Easter) The same time it’s celebrated elsewhere. Ruotsalaisuuden päivä (Finnish Swedish Heritage Day) 6.11. Äitienpäivä (Mother’s day) Celebrated on the second Sunday of May. Isänpäivä (Father’s day) Celebrated on the second Sunday of November, exactly half a year after Mother’s day.

Can you drink the tap water: Yes.

Number of saunas: 2 million - 3,2 million

Number of dogs: around 500 000 pure breeds, mixed breeds not included

Finland’s national

...anthem: Maamme, Vårt land in Swedish, Our Land in English. Composed by Fredrik Pacius, words written (first in Swedish) by J. L. Runeberg. It was performed for the first time in 1846. The Finnish translation is what made it become the national anthem, even though for a long time Finnish wasn’t even an official language in Finland. 

...flag: A blue Nordic cross on a white background, the State flag also has the Coat of Arms of Finland in the middle. 

...Coat of Arms: A golden crowned lion on a red background, standing on it’s hind legs, with it’s other armored front leg holding a sword, trampling a saber, with nine silver roses just kinda floating around. See for yourself.

...day: 6th of December, our Independence day.

...epic: Kalevala, published in 1835, made by Elias Lönnrot, who collected old poems and songs from Karjala (Karelia) and compiled them into one book. Kalevala has inspired many artists in Finland and abroad, one example being J.R.R. Tolkien. Kalevala has been translated into 61 languages, so you can probably give it a read if you’d like. (source)

...instrument: Kantele. (source)

...personification: Suomi-neito, the Finnish Maiden. Yes, we have an official personification as well.

...animal: A bear. It was a holy animal in Finnish paganism, so much so that it was forbidden to say its name out loud. To this day, we don’t know what the real, original word for bear in Finnish was. It had a lot of names that were used instead. The word we use today, karhu, comes from the word “karhea”, which means like, rough? It’s because of the texture of the bear’s fur. (source)

...fish: Ahven, European perch. Beautiful, isn’t it? (source)

....bird: Laulujoutsen, which is by the way a much prettier name than whooper swan (sorry English). Laulujoutsen literally means “song swan”. (source)

...bug: Leppäkerttu, a ladybug. Funny thing, you know how it’s called like a God’s cow in some languages? Well, the Finnish name, leppäkerttu OR the more specific species seitsenpistepirkko, are literally translated as “alder-Kerttu” and “seven-dotted- Pirkko”, Kerttu and Pirkko being Finnish names for women. What a weird name. ALSO, one of the gods pagan Finns worshipped was called Ukko, and it is commonly believed that he was the highest of all the Finnish gods. A ladybug, back then, was called ukonlehmä. You know what that means? Ukko’s cow. (source)

...horse: Suomenhevonen, Finnhorse, literally “horse of Finland”. It was, for a long time, the only horse breed in Finland. It’s apparently considered one of the fastest and most versatile coldblood breeds in the world. During WWII, the Finnish army did not have many cars, so suomenhevoset were very important back then. 7 200 horses died or went missing during the Winter War, and the horses that did survive had their minds as broken as the men they’d stayed beside. There are quite a few memorials for the horses, after all, they helped to carry the wounded when no other vehicle could. We owe them a lot. 

This is one of those memorials. It’s called Suomenhevonen - Sotahevonen, which means basically “the Finnhorse - a war horse”. (no relation to the movie)

....dog: Suomenpystykorva, the Finnish Spitz, yes, we did need our national dog, who doesn’t??? Written mentions of a barking hunting dogs with red fur have survived from the end of the 19th century, but dogs very closely resembling the breed have been used for hunting in Finland for hundreds of years. (source)

...tree: Rauduskoivu, silver birch. (picture by me)

...flower: Kielo, Lily of the valley. (source)

...stone: Graniitti, granite. It’s the most common type of stone in Finland, and it’s been mined here even to be exported. For example, the pillars of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg were made of Finnish granite. And, of course, so was Finland’s Parliament House in Helsinki. There’s even a type of granite that has a Finnish name, rapakivi granite.

...poet: Johan Ludwig Runeberg (1804-1877). The words of our national anthem were made by him, and he wrote a collection of poems, called Vänrikki Stoolin tarinat, The Tales of Ensign Stål, an epic poem about the Finnish War of 1808-1809, a work of literature second to only Kalevala. He was already considered a great man (suurmies) before his death, and Runebergin päivä, Runeberg day, is celebrated on February 5th. 

...composer: Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). Composed such little pieces as Finlandia (which was once suggested as the anthem for the whole world), the Karelia Suite, his seven symphonies, Valse triste, and many more. Finlandia is perhaps the best known out of all of them, especially the Finlandia Hymn. It is very beautiful, I agree. Here’s a link, go have a listen if you have time.

...author: Aleksis Kivi. He was the first professional Finnish author. He is the best known for his novel Seitsemän veljestä, Seven Brothers. He also wrote plays and poetry. Oh, yes, I should probably mention that this first professional Finnish author lived in 1834-1872. No, we haven’t been writing books here for very long. There are no photos of him, but there’s this drawing by Albert Edelfelt.

...saint: Piispa Henrik, or Henry, Bishop of Finland. He was murdered here in 1156. Maybe. He might’ve not existed, no one knows for sure.

...satu: See, the word “satu” technically means a fairytale, but some stories that are called a satu in Finnish don’t actually have that much magic stuff, you know? For example this one, that I swear I saw being called Finland’s national “fairytale”, but if it’s not, that’s fine, because it’s still a very well known tale in Finland. It’s called Koivu ja tähti, which means the Birch and the Star. It’s about two children, who were taken from their parents and from their home to Russia during the Russian occupation of Finland called “Isoviha”, or the Great Hatred. A lot of people died, okay, I’ll talk about it later in the history post. Anyway, the siblings, a boy and a girl, who want to return back home to Finland. However, the only thing they remember of their home is the big birch tree growing outside, and how a star always shone through the branches in the evening. They start making their way home, with only two birds leading their way, and after a year find their home and their parents, still alive. However, their two sisters had died while they were away, so the children realize that the two birds were actually the souls of their siblings leading them back home. This was based on the story of the author’s, Sakari Topelius’, great-grandfather Kristoffer Toppelius’ life, as he was taken to Russia as a slave, but after escaping and following the sunset he eventually found his way to Southern Finland. 

But yeah, that’s about it. In our brand new series (that I came up with while making this post), “Some basic stuff about Finland”, the next part will be about the years Finland was a part of Sweden! Material for tons of fanfics y’all

I hope you enjoyed the read! Sorry that it took so long!

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/letter-from-africa-should-mps-be-sent-back-to-school/

Letter from Africa: Should MPs be sent back to school?

Image copyright AFP

Image caption Zimbabwe’s speaker of parliament is nicknamed “the Headmaster”

In our series of letters from African writers, Zimbabwean journalist-turned-barrister Brian Hungwe looks at whether politicians need better qualifications.

Zimbabwe has one of the highest literacy rates in Africa. It is a country of learned people – the former President Robert Mugabe had no less than seven degrees.

But the education appears not to have filtered down to the one place where it is badly needed, the National Assembly – and the speaker of parliament, Jacob Mudenda, is worried.

Nicknamed “the Headmaster” by his colleagues, he is a stickler for rules – and is now advocating that parliament set a minimum standard of education for anyone wanting to become an MP.

In many houses of parliament around the world, proceedings often get rowdy and sometimes when the politicians run out of arguments, fists come in handy.

The South African, Ugandan, Nigerian and Somali parliaments are just some of those that have witnessed brawls.

So it’s not clear why Mr Mudenda wants more degrees in the house, when boxing gloves might be more useful.

But he is not the first speaker to grapple with the issue of ill-educated MPs in Zimbabwe.

‘Unwitty’

Back in 1992, former Speaker Didymus Mutasa kicked off a storm when he said that debates in parliament had become “meaningless”.

“I do not think the calibre of members is very good. I wonder if some MPs read newspapers and books, or even discuss with friends before coming to parliament.”

Image copyright AFP

Image caption Zimbabwe has many graduates who cannot find jobs

He ended with the insult: “Some MPs are unwitty.”

Perhaps that was a step too far, as a politician needs a fair bit of wit to criss-cross a rural constituency pledging to bring heaven to the electorate, only to disappear until their resurrection five years later to repackage the heavenly promises without shame or remorse.

But four years later Edson Zvobgo, a cabinet minister known for his quick repartee, complained that parliamentary debates had “gradually become sterile, bereft of research or reason”.

He added that “democratic systems are not guests of convenience”.

The current speaker is convinced that the quality of debate is suffering because some of the MPs are uneducated.

He argues that they cannot rise to the occasion, given the complex bills, and policy issues.

“The MPs vanotatarika,” he says, which in Shona means “they struggle”.

“If the trend carries on, we might have to amend the constitution and make it mandatory that for one to contest as a councillor or MP, one must have a minimum of an Ordinary Level certificate.”

This is a school qualification that is taken at around the age of 16.

‘I’m richer than educated people’

But not everyone is amused by the suggestion.

The MP for Kwekwe Central, Masango Matambanadzo, dropped out of school at Grade Two – at around the age of seven – because his parents couldn’t afford his education.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Zimbabwe’s former leader Robert Mugabe has seven degrees to his name

“The speaker must never discriminate against uneducated people,” he says.

“Your deeds and character should help the people decide, not educational qualifications.”

Mr Matambanadzo argues that he has the heart and energy to work, and deliver – and that should be sufficient.

So how has he survived this long with no education?

“I use natural intelligence to connect with people,” he says.

He tells me that former President Mugabe told him to find a secretary to assist him in writing and reading.

You may also be interested in:

He runs several businesses in Kwekwe town, and says there are many professors and doctors who don’t have $1,000 (£760) in their bank account and other educated people who cannot match his income.

Yet parliamentary business is complex. There are bills to be scrutinised, executive policies and decisions to be examined. Select committees have to go through technical and legal reports, some of which are beyond the comprehension of many.

And it is for this reason that Mr Mudenda is reaching out to educated people in Zimbabwe to pursue a career in politics so that the country has capable people to make laws.

At the moment, to become an MP the only requirement in the constitution is that you should be a registered voter and at least 21 years of age.

Some people see the move to raise minimum qualifications for entry into parliament as a way to shut out populist candidates.

Mr Mugabe touched on this issue in 2013, four years before he was ousted from power, saying Zimbabweans would never see a traditional healer becoming a minister.

“We can’t appoint a very famous traditional healer because he is popular with the people. He may go into parliament, fine, but he can’t be a minister of health,” he said.

For now, Mr Matambanadzo is undeterred: “I am currently travelling, articulating my views on the consumer bill.

“People are always clapping at my informed contributions. It matters not that I can’t read or write – that’s immaterial.”

More Letters from Africa

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at Toldnewsafrica

[hurricanehenry]

#PMDoolittle is switching it up for the weekend! Instead of taking another Private Day today, he's taking a "Personal" Day today! So much for Justin Trudeau being eager to get to work on your priorities after the election.” Is there not a journalist in the entire country to ask the feds what they did with 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine donated by a top Canadian Pharma to fight Covid?/Apotex Two Million Dosages of Hydroxychloroquine to Public Health Agency of Canada https://www1.apotex.com/global/about- When Parliament does return, MPs will need to elect a speaker, set up committees, and there will be a throne speech, meaning that all time will be taken up with housekeeping rather than business of the nation. Trudeau government is perpetually on vacation. General who replaced senior officer accused of sex assault is now himself under investigation for sexual misconduct FireTrudeau #TrudeauHasGotToGo calgarysun.com Guest Opinion: Equalization cost Alberta $67 billion. What has it bought? Hostility No Wonder Canada Is In The Shape it Is .. Seriously After everything that has happened, re-elected with 1/3 of the votes, this government seems capable of surviving any disgrace, any scandal. All we can do is bear witness. Well done, cbcfifth Is there any General or Admiral in the CAF not involved in sexual misconduct allegations..should let HarjitSajjan know because military keeps promoting leaders who have to step down. I challenge JustinTrudeau to drink out of Iqaluit's water taps, and all other taps across these lands that have a water boil advisory. After all, your father told my family that we would always be treated like Canada's. This is a lie by the CBC. The British MP was stabbed by by a Somali immigrant and it's been classified as terrorism. CBC Politics CBCPolitics Canadian politicians warn of political violence after U.K. MP is stabbed to death | CBC News https://cbc.ca/news/politics/david-amess-canadian-reaction-1.6213606?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar… by nickjboisvert Politicians who recently travelled now have a message for Canadians: Don’t travel theglobeandmail.com Opinion: Politicians who recently travelled now hav . https://www.instagram.com/p/CVGr1qnFtxR/?utm_medium=tumblr

[afroinsider]

Somalia: Parliament Speaker Meets With His Qatari Counterpart The speaker of the House of the People of the Somali People, Mohamed Mursal, held a meeting with his Qatari counterpart, Al-Sayed Ahmed Bin Abdalla bin Zaid in Jordan.

[merge-merge]

Motion filed to impeach Somali president - statement

Motion filed to impeach Somali president – statement

The head of the Somali parliament’s administration said on Sunday he had filed a motion with the speaker of parliament to impeach the country’s president, Mohamed Abdullahi, but the grounds for the move were unclear.

“We have filed an impeachment against the president of the federal republic of Somalia,”

Abdikarim H. Abdi Buh said in a statement.

Read More

[cathnews]

Somali lawmaker presents bill to legalise child marriage

Somali lawmaker presents bill to legalise child marriage

A bill to legalise child marriage in Somalia has been presented to the Somali parliament.

At present there is no law mandating a minimum age for marriage in Somalia.

The bill introduced in parliament this month by deputy speaker Abdiweli Mudeey, has provoked criticism from other lawmakers when they realised it would legalise marriage at puberty.

For some girls, this would be when they were as…