Friday February 14, 2025

FILE – SSC-Khaatumo Parliament Speaker Jama Yasin Warsame

Mogadishu (HOL) — The SSC-Khaatumo Parliament has taken a decisive step toward formalizing its governance, approving the creation of a constitutional drafting committee to shape the region’s future.

Lawmakers ratified the decision in an extraordinary session earlier this week after Speaker Jama Yasin Warsame informed Parliament that a previous attempt to delegate the constitutional process to judicial institutions had stalled due to the absence of a Supreme Court. As a result, Parliament took full responsibility for drafting a framework that will guide the administration’s future governance.

“The House has approved the introduction of a legislative bill to form the Constitutional Drafting Committee, which will be presented to Parliament to lay the groundwork for a constitution for SSC-Khaatumo,” said Speaker Warsame.

The General Assembly, a political summit outlined in Article 6, Clause 2 of the SSC-Khaatumo Charter, will ultimately ratify the constitution. The forum is expected to convene key political leaders, traditional elders, and civil society representatives to establish a governance framework.

SSC-Khaatumo leader Abdiqadir Aw Ali Firdhiye said that the constitutional process is essential for solidifying the administration’s authority and ensuring long-term stability.

“The executive council has agreed that the constitution of our upcoming regional administration should be prepared in advance. The principles outlined in our charter are our guiding framework, and no one can deviate from them,” Firdhiye stated.

Parliament clarified that the ongoing constitutional drafting would not interfere with SSC-Khaatumo’s electoral roadmap, a concern raised by some legislators.

“The constitution being drafted has no bearing on the region’s elections. Elections will be conducted under separate legal instruments and existing electoral guidelines,” the statement read.

The move to draft a constitution has exposed internal divisions within SSC-Khaatumo’s political leadership. Some lawmakers argue that the region should first secure its territorial and political stability before focusing on legal formalization. Others insist that a codified constitution is crucial to gaining legitimacy in negotiations with Somalia’s federal government and countering Somaliland’s territorial claims over the region.