Wednesday February 12, 2020
MOGADISHU (HOL) - The residents of Mogadishu must have a voice and rights as their counterparts in Federal Member States on issues affecting them and those of the country has large, city mayor Omar Filish has said calling for the determination of the city’s status.
Speaking during a constitutional consultative forum on the status of Mogadishu, Filish said Mogadishu was home to over three million people but with no political representation.
“The city of Mogadishu has an estimated population of more than 3 million people who do not have political representation,” said Filish. “The people of Mogadishu must have their views and same rights as those of regional government in contributing to the reconstruction of the country.”
The mayor’s remarks follow long running debates on the status of Mogadishu which has remained unaddressed despite hosting the highest number of Somalis in the country.
Article 9 of the Provisional Constitutions defines Mogadishu as the country’s capital city but leaves the definition of its political status to legislation.
“The status of the capital city of Somalia shall be determined in the constitutional review process, and the two houses of the Somali Federal Parliament shall enact a special law with regards to this issue,” the article reads in part.
Mogadishu city currently falls under Banaadir Regional Administration which incorporates 18 districts. In the 2016 parliamentary elections, Banaadir region was allocated six seats in the Lower House for the Banaadiri clans occupying Hamarweyne district.
The status of Mogadishu, besides power and resource sharing between the center and the periphery, security and justice architecture and structure f government are some of the contentious issues in the constitutional review process.
The constitutional public consultations which began early this month continue.