Mogadishu (SD) – Somalia’s Speaker of the Upper House Abdi Hashi Abdullahi has criticized the Somali government’s handling of parliamentary elections in the northern regions, and demanded that he appoint an electoral commission to represent the northern regions.

Speaker Hashi, has written to the president, prime minister and the heads of Somalia’s member states saying that during the meetings and decisions of the election process those regions did not get representation.

“No regard is given to the unity of the nation as represented by the politicians of these communities (Somaliland) in the Federal Government of Somalia.” Said speaker Hashi.

Abdi Hashi said the Somali government does not have the right to appoint the northern regional electoral commission, as stipulated in the election agreement between the central and regional governments, because it does not nominate members of the regional governments.

The Speaker of the Upper House said, therefore, he should nominate the two members from the northern regions to represent them in the Federal Electoral Commission, the two members to the Dispute Resolution Committee, and eight members to the Northern Regional Electoral Commission.

Somali federal government’s position on this issue is not clear and is yet to respond to speaker’s comments.