The decision by Somalia's parliament this week to extend its mandate for three more years drew criticisms not only from the country's international partners but also from local citizens and analysts here who said it was "not in the best interest of the people."
Thursday's vote on the motion to extend the fast-ending mandate of the country's 550-member parliament was swift and almost overwhelmingly unanimous as 421 of the 435 MP present voted in favour while just 11 opposed with only three abstaining.
The assemblage of lawmakers during the vote was extraordinarily the largest in attendance for a very long time during the houses' infrequent sessions in the capital Mogadishu.
The current mandate of the Somali parliament as well as the transitional government ends in August this year but the tasks, such as drawing of a new constitution, conducting of a national census and the completion of the reconciliation process as stipulated in the charter has not been fulfilled.
Both ordinary Somali citizens and analysts expressed their disapproval of the extension while local Mogadishu radio talk shows were filled with callers demanding the repealing of the vote.
"This is unacceptable. We support the government and the parliament but this decision to unilaterally give long and unwarranted mandate to the parliament is not in the interest of the people," Mohamed Tahliil, a Mogadishu resident told Xinhua.
Observers here said that the move badly damaged the image of the lawmakers and parliament both inside the country and in the eyes of its international partners who have stood by the besieged government of Somalia in their fight against deadly Islamist insurgency.
"The move is counter-productive as it alienated everyone in this equation. Although lawmakers argue they made the required consultation before moving to vote on the extension, it is quite evident they left out many in the international community," contends Salah Harun, a Somali political analysts based in Mogadishu.
The international community which supports the government as well as the parliament were quick in their criticism of the Somali legislatives move characterizing it as disappointing, hasty and unilateral.
The United Nations Special Representative for Somalia Augutine Mahiga said, following the vote, that the decision of lawmakers to give themselves three-year term extension was "disappointing and taken in haste without the required level of discussion and consultation on how to end the transition period."
"The Somali people deserve and expect to see change. It is the responsibility of the TFIs (Transitional Federal Institutions) to implement this change in consultation with major entities representing the Somali people and key partners of the international community," Mahiga said in a statement.
The European Union as well as the United States, which support the beleaguered Somali government, also expressed displeasure at the move and urged the parliament to reconsider its decision.
Somali lawmakers have for their part defended the decision of the legislative body saying the extension was necessary considering the current situation which makes it difficult to accomplish the tasks in the remaining six months period of the transition.
Meeting between top Somali leaders and representatives of governments and international organizations that assist the Somali government are expected to start soon to find a way out of the impasse.
The horn of African nation has been through two decades of civil conflict that saw much of south and center of Somalia in the hands of Al Qaeda affiliated Islamist group of Al Shabaab.
The Somali government controls only parts of the restive coastal city of Mogadishu where rebel fighters launch almost daily attacks on government forces and African Union (AU) peacekeeping troops.
Source: Xinhua
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