By Dawan Africa - Reporter
Mogadishu(Mogadishu24)-Somalia’s Federal Members States were confirmed to have united their strong opposition against the constitutional amendments in which the Parliament’s bicameral body passed it two weeks earlier.
Puntland, Jubaland, Southwest, Hirshabelle, and Galmudug States are expected to issue a unified, joint statement, expressing their rejections regarding to the changes made into the four chapters of the constitution soon according to reliable sources.
President of the Federal Government of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed official copy of the four amended chapters of the constitution into a law, following Parliament’s approval at the time.
The President said that completion of the constitution is the basic foundation for developing democracy, equality of all Somalia citizens and strengthening the building transparent State Institutions.
But Puntland State initially opposed the Parliament’s decision to approve the amendments into the constitution, announcing a tough decision to withdrawing recognition and confidence in the Federal Government of Somalia.
Information Minister for Puntland State, Mohamud Aidid Dirir said in a press conference that the Parliament’s move violated all agreements, safeguarding unity of the country based on federal system.
Former Somali Presidents, Prime Ministers and politicians also expressed their opposition to the controversial move by the Federal Parliament while they accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of opting new constitution.
“We collectively reject the new constitution and recognize the provisional constitution consisting of 15 chapters and 143 articles. We will never accept a constitution altered to fulfill the perverse desire and will of the Presidency”, Former Prime Minsters, Hassan Ali Khaire, Omar Abdirashid and Abdirahman A. Shakur said in a joint statement a day after the approval.
The rest of the four members of the Federal States remained silent since that time and up-to date and their stance over the constitutional review amendments were not clear, but the latest developing story that they are uniting against Parliament’s decision would be a challenge to the Federal Government’s intention to move from Parliamentary election to presidential system.
