MOGADISHU (SD) – Somali Lower House Speaker, Mohamed Mursal has suspended fifteen lawmakers from the next five sessions hours after house session ended in disarray.

According to a letter  addressed to the MPs, the lawmakers who are supporting the opposition are said to have obstructed Saturday’s parliament session which was discuss COVID-19.

The move was condemned by former Somali security Minister, Abdirisack Mohamed who is also a member of the parliament accused the parliament leadership of abusing the office.

“He (the speaker) has no authority to discipline MPs. None of the articles of the house rules & procedure he referenced to sanction 15 MPs including myself give him the authority to discipline MPs.This is purely abuse of power & we wont  abide by such illegality as members of the legislature,” said Mohamed.

On Saturday, the speaker of the Lower House adjourned the session after opposition MPs disrupted the opening of the session.

Opposition MPs claimed that the parliament leadership and pro-government MPs wanted to carry out vote to extend the mandate of the executive.

The mandate of the parliament and the president ended December last year and February this year respectively.

Meanwhile, international community has been  pressing Somali political stakeholders to break deadlock and agree to hold commonly agreed elections in the Horn of Africa nation.

On Saturday, five regional state leaders have gathered at a hotel in Mogadishu airport to discuss ways to resolve the political gridlock. No agreement was yet reached, according to sources privy to the talks.