Former Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has spoken out against the political situation in the South West State, questioning the reduction of its powers to a subordinate authority that directly commands the Federal Government of Somalia.
Omar Abdirashid said there is no law that allows for the replacement of a State with a transitional administration that commands the central government, stressing that the federal system is based on the sharing of power between the federal and regional governments.
“Elections can be held with a transitional administration at the regional level, but the question is whether the Federal Government is trying to rewrite the future direction of the federal system,” the former Prime Minister said.
He also warned that any move to violate the country’s constitution could reverse the political progress made and plunge the country into a new crisis in governance.
Omar Abdirashid’s statement comes amid intense debate over the Federal Government’s decisions on the administration of the Southwest region, with politicians and some sections of society expressing concerns about preserving the federal system and the independence of the regional states.
On Wednesday, Somali Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre appointed his deputy prime minister to be the interim leader of the Southwest Regional State of Somalia.
