Two cabinet ministers from Somalia’s Federal Government, who are members of the Lower House of the Somali parliament, and were elected from Puntland constituencies, tendered their resignations on Wednesday. They cited the ongoing political dispute over the constitutional amendment and the way the state has been governed as their reasons for stepping down. One of the ministers, Mr. Aynanshe Yusuf Hussein, who was the state minister of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, stated that he made the decision after observing the management of the state and the violation of the agreed-upon constitution. He strongly accused the Somali Federal Government of attempting to amend the country’s constitution without proper consultation, which he believes poses a threat to the unity of the Somali people. The minister also revealed that the rights of MPs elected from Puntland have been infringed upon, as they were prevented from carrying out their national duties and traveling to their constituencies. He stated, “The people of Puntland have entrusted me with this position. I cannot be a part of anything that harms them and their state,” before announcing his resignation as the state minister of labor and social affairs. In addition, MP Ismail Burale, who was the state minister of petroleum for the Somali Federal Government, also tendered his resignation. He stated that he does not agree with the way the government is handling the constitutional amendment process, which he believes should involve broad consultation and unified agreement. However, there has been no statement released by the offices of the presidency or the Prime Minister regarding the allegations made by the resigning ministers. The MPs elected from Puntland are divided into two camps, with one in favor of the Somali Federal Government’s constitutional amendment and the other against it.
