WHERE IS THE QUESTION PERIOD IN PUNTLAND PARLIAMENT? ARE THEY COMFORTABLE BEING PERPETUALLY RUBBER-STAMPED LIKE THEIR COUNTER-PARTS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL SOMALIA?

By:-Ismail Warsame.

Puntland House of Representatives is currently holding its 55th Session. Among the dignitaries and guests in attendance are Puntland State MPs in the Federal Parliament in Mogadishu, South-Central Somalia. It is an important session, given the fact that Somalia is at crossroads between a failed state again and the survival of the Federal System Somalis agreed upon, following the Civil War. We will be watching whether they can meet the challenges ahead.

In the meantime, let us remind ourselves that the main function of any parliament is government budget allocations and approval. This involves scrutiny, approval, and follow-up of expenditures consistent with budget allocations. It involves investigations of abuses and mismanagement of this budget. It ensures appropriate and competent financial personnel are appointed by an independent commission. It checks out that the government must have independent auditors and accountants in the financial system, starting with the Auditor-General and Chief Accountant. Barring major economic and natural calamities, the government budget must meet with approved allocations. If not, questions must be raised to expose any malpractices. Critical public services, public law and order, and government operations must be maintained as sine qua non for the state’s existence and survival.

Parliament committees must be active and engaging to carry out their duties as functioning representatives of the people. Government officials and executives, including the State President can be summoned anytime to answer parliament questions in the people’s interest, consistent with the principles of checks and balances of power. These legislative duties should be ongoing as a routine of parliament function. Without this, we can’t have an independent parliament. A dangerous situation develops when the Executive Branch unconstitutionally takes all power from the other two branches of the government, producing a rubber-stamped House of Representatives. When the State President becomes too powerful and unresponsive to an independent parliament, it leads to a government system called “Madax-ka-Nool” in Puntland State – a Somali term coined by the people of Puntland State many years ago, but now used widely throughout Somalia.

We wish them successful session.

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Postscript. Puntlanders don’t realise that the State President has two functions – he is the Head of State and he is Head of Government (Prime Minister). As Head of Government, he is subject to scrutiny by the LEGISLATIVE like any other minister in the government.