Hargeisa (SD) –The President of the Republic of Somaliland, Muse Bihi, held a consultative meeting with all the newly elected mayors of the country’s 23 districts, discussing the powers of locally elected councillors.

The meeting, first of it’s kind, discussed the administrative rules of the local councils and reaffirmed the powers of the central government.

The president told the mayors that the elected councillors could only convene their meetings only with the permission of the appointed governors of the country.

“The law is clear and the council can only sit with the governor’s approval” President Bihi told the Mayors.

Adding “Local governments can create their own rules and regulations, so your rules are your own, and if the federal government opposes you, you will stop, that is why is the ministry given the authority.”

The meeting comes days after four districts said they would appeal to the Supreme Court on a recent interior minister’s decision to block their sessions.

The councillors of the four districts are reportedly wanting to hold their mayors accountable and perhaps unseat them.