The 1st Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who is presently the Acting Speaker Hon. Saeed Mire Farah (Girre), received in the Speakers’ chambers the visiting Conservative UK House of Commons delegation led by long serving East Worthing & Shoreham representative MP Tim Loughton and his Rother Valley colleague MP Alexander Starfford. It included a media crew.
The acting Speaker was flanked by the parliamentary foreign affairs advisor Hassan Heiss along with several committees chair and numerous MPs.
Of note was the fact that both sides were of the consensus that a tangible forum be established to connect Somaliland parliament to friends of Somaliland in the UK.
During their deliberations the acting Speaker gave a recap of all the electoral processes that the country underwent since 2001 including all the smooth changes of guards at all stages of the processes be hey the presidency or the parliamentary and civic elections that saw presidents, speakers and mayors change buttons.
Thus, in other words, translating to eight universal suffrage elections since 2001.
He briefed the visitors on the latest amendments made to the election laws, that paves ay to holding a free and fair presidential and national parties elections come November 24th this year.
Numerous views and suggestions were exchanged on best ways of moving forward. Highlights were made on the deep-rooted Somaliland-UK relations, current political situation at the international stages, conflicts, and pertinent diverse issues concerning both countries.
Major in the itinerary of their discussions were the aspirations of the people of Somaliland and their nation in realizing the deserved international recognition.
On their part, the UK visitors expressed their gratitude for the warm welcome that they were accorded and hospitality and openness they have experienced in Somaliland. They noted the commitment of the friends of Somaliland to the establishment of democracy and good governance in the Republic of Somaliland.
The delegates pointed out the importance of the existence and sustainability of peace stability such that trade may flourish in the world.
They underpinned the need to maintain and further strengthen the foundation of friendship and solidarity between Somaliland as a country and other stakeholders in the neighboring or Western world.
What they emphasized is that in the process of regaining Somaliland’s independence, it is necessary to prevent the obstacles it may face by stepping up lobbies and accelerating the internationalization of its essence such that the aspirations may be concretely realized and achieved.
The two sides agreed to create a joint forum that connects Somaliland’s friends in the UK and members of the Somaliland Parliament in order to further strengthen the prominent role that the members of both sides can play in bolstering the relations of government of Somaliland and that of UK through the rapprochement of ‘Friends of Somaliland’ forum.
Present at the meeting were MP Hussain Ismail Jama, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Committee, MP Abu Bakr Said Ali, Deputy Chairman of the Finance and Economic Committee, and MP Ibrahim Ali Jama of the same committee, MP Omar Jama Farah, MP Mubarak Musa Ismail and MP Mohamed Ismaan Limo, of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Investments and International Relations, and the Parliamentary Adviser on Development and International Relations Hassan Mohamed Jama ‘Heiss’.
On the British side were both UK House of Commons MPs Mr. Tim Loughton and Mr. Alexander Stafford, and Jason MacKenzie and Hanad Darwish from the strategies consultancy firm College Green Group, and Graham Stewart and Georgia Gilholy, from the Independent Press The Critic and The Spectator.
They were notably accompanied by Somaliland diplomatic representative in the UK Abdi Abdillahi.
