Somali parliament deducts salaries of absent lawmakers

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali Lower House leadership has deducted the salaries of an unspecified number of lawmakers who were absent from recent parliamentary sessions without permission.

Speaking during Saturday’s session, House of the People Speaker Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur defended the decision, saying the measure followed procedures set out in Parliament’s internal regulations.

“MPs are obligated to attend parliamentary sessions and fulfill their assigned responsibilities, and it is inappropriate for some MPs to consistently attend to their duties while others remain absent without fulfilling their obligations,” he said.

He said the salary deductions followed a verification process involving the committee responsible for parliamentary internal regulations and a review of attendance records.

The speaker said special consideration would be given to lawmakers who had official leave or documented special circumstances.

He added that the parliamentary leadership is prepared to correct any administrative errors, particularly if a lawmaker was mistakenly included among those facing salary deductions.

“This measure is not intended to penalize lawmakers facing health issues or other special circumstances,” he said.

The decision follows an earlier pledge by the speaker to take action against lawmakers who repeatedly miss parliamentary sessions, including by deducting their salaries.

The speaker said the decision remains open to legal review and that lawmakers may use existing procedures to lodge complaints or challenge the measure.

Several parliamentary sessions have been cancelled in recent months because of a lack of quorum.