Is Speaker Mursal Playing the Mercurial Janus-faced Politician?
By Prof. Hassan Keynan
Eight months ago Mogadishu was in the throes of
a protracted and nasty political squabble engineered by Villa Somalia in cahoots with all kinds of political opportunists
and predatory conmen in Mogadishu. The principal objective of Villa Somalia’s mission was to remove
the then speaker of the Lower House of the Somali Parliament. Speaker Jawari
was a lawyer and a veteran and skillful political operator. Most people saw the
motion against Speaker Jawari as a routine, non-consequential matter. Many were
busy to gain from it. Many realized what was going on but nonetheless decided
to play mum. Many more were completely oblivious to the crisis unfolding before
their eyes. And some did not care at all.
During the bloody month of April, I expressed
my feelings and opinion in two sentences:
“Do not postpone a trouble brewing today to a peaceful Saturday. If you
were oblivious to the consequential events that unfolded on 24 April, forget
what happened on 30 April.”
On 24 April the Voice of America’s reputable investigative Dossier broadcasted a
detailed and well-researched report alleging that the Federal Defense Minister,
Mohamed Mursal, and Army Chief, Gen Abdiweli Jama Gorod, entered into a secret contract with SKA International in clear violation of the national procurement
rules and procedures. That was the time when the Motion against Jawari was
approaching its ugly and deadly zenith. Six days later, on 30 April 2018, the
former Defense Minister who signed the Agreement was elected the Speaker of
Lower House of the Federal Parliament. The Senior Minister, who broke the law
and committed fraud, was handsomely rewarded and crowned as the country’s chief
legislator.
The sad story unfolding in Mogadishu and the tragic incidents
convulsing heavenly Baidoa and Southwest State can be traced to what happened 8
months ago. Villa Somalia’s dark
design seems to be on course and on target, as planned. Is it possible that Speaker
Mursal is playing the classic double agent game? The behaviour, action or
inaction he has chosen to display in such foreboding and heavily consequential
time is incomprehensible. There is a constitutional crisis in the country
unfolding on his watch as the country’s chief legislator. And his home state is
burning. And he is nowhere to be seen.
At least he can diffuse the constitutional crisis by either proceeding with the
Motion against the President, or by declaring it null and void.
Prof. Hassan Keynan is a former Professor at the Somali National University and a retired Senior UN Official
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