Representatives of the International Community including the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Nations have yesterday had a telephone conversation with the Speaker of the House of the people Parliament Mohamed Mursal Sheikh Abdirahman about the proposed extension of the term of office of the House of Representatives and the outgoing Somali president.
The international community has told the House speaker that the decision by the parliament would undermine the country’s stability and ongoing efforts and informed him that an extension would not be acceptable.
Sources close to Halane Camp reported that the international community had also told the Speaker of the House of the People that they would not receive international support and would instead be held accountable for any chaos that may result from the decision.
Yesterday’s meeting of the House of Representatives was adjourned due to pressure from the international community and was postponed to Wednesday, tomorrow with the issue of extensions being questioned widely.
A section of lawmakers pointed out that the House of the People speaker told a parliamentary committee that he was extending the term of the outgoing Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and that the September 17 agreement reached in Mogadishu had failed.
BY OSMAN HUSSEIN ALI
