Somalia: Oil law vote divides Puntland lawmakers 19 Mar 19, 2008 - 10:05:17 AM
GAROWE, Somalia Mar 19 (Garowe Online) - Somali legislators in the Horn of Africa country’s Puntland region voted today on a controversial oil law presented last week by the administration of President Mohamud “Adde” Muse.
There were a total of 48 members of parliament in the region’s administrative capital, Garowe. Parliament officials said 21 lawmakers voted in favor of ratifying the oil law while another 21 MPs refused, with 6 MPs abstaining from the vote.
Ahmed Ali Hashi, the Speaker of parliament, intervened with his super-vote to break the 21-21 vote. The Speaker voted in favor of ratifying the controversial oil law, with his super-vote tipping the balance to 23-21.
But parliamentary opponents of the oil law accused Speaker Hashi of illegal conduct, citing a law President Muse signed and approved by lawmakers, which gives the parliament Speaker a two-vote power to break a stalemate.
According to that law, the Speaker can vote only after lawmakers vote three times on the same issue and the vote remains dead-even. But Speaker Hashi’s Wednesday vote was “early and therefore illegal,” according to a parliament insider.
Puntland’s petroleum and minerals minister, Hassan “Allore” Osman, told Radio Garowe later today that the oil law “has been passed.” Several MPs called Radio Garowe to complain about “misconduct” during the vote and to express their position that the oil law has not been ratified yet.
President Muse’s bill, entitled the “The Oil and Minerals Law of Puntland State Government,” aims to award the regional administration the constitutional authority to sign agreements with foreign companies intent on exploring for oil in Puntland.
In 2005, Muse unilaterally signed an exploration contract with a small Australian company to explore for oil and minerals in Somalia’s Puntland region.
But that deal has faced steady resistance from several factors, including Somali federal government officials and local clans on which the Puntland government depends on for its very existence.
Source: Garowe Online
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