The proposal to increase Banadir’s representation in the Upper House to 13 has met resistance from several quarters, including Senate Speaker Abdi Hashi.
Speaker Hashi said the decision by the Lower House to approve the request for increased representation of Banadir in the Senate was “unwelcome.”
Lower House’s Speaker Mohamed Mursal presided over the debate that approved Banadir’s increased representation.
He allowed the debate to proceed despite requests by regional leaders to postpone the discussions until a consensus is reached.
Regional leaders had hoped for more time until their meeting with President Mohamed Farmaajo to iron out the contentious issues.
Nevertheless, the Lower House approved the increase. However, on Tuesday, Speaker Hashi called the bill permitting the increase “unconstitutional.”
He further urged the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) to reject all electoral clauses that the Lower House passed.