Somaliland: Business Or Show Business in Parliament

The Republican, Hargeisa

The road towards the approval of the 2006 budget, through the House of Representatives, seems to be not all roses as expected but thorny. This year’s budget exceeds all previous budgets and is for the first time in front of members that were elected by the people.

The majority are in the House for the first time and for the first time have made expected and unexpected visits to the main customs and sources of government income, to find out whether

the budget is how it is presented by the financial responsible for it or whether there discrepancies that has to be altered. Twenty days ago the budget was presented to the House of

Representatives. It is a budget with an increase from that of last year to most of the government institutions and an increase of 50% to the House of Parliament. This is an increase that is

reasonable for the legislative to cover their basic needs and free them of being given diaries and copies of the constitution and disseminating these hand out through the media.

Such publicity is seen by many political observers and political commentators in bars and teashops as belittling our honoured members of parliament. The economic Committee of the

House of Representatives, fact-finding missions to Berbera andthe main customs in the country is being commended by those who follow events in the parliament. Members in the House of

Representatives have questioned in detail and in camera, the minister of Finance and senior finance ministry officials. The question and answer session in camera will continue today (Saturday). No one knows how long, they will last, but those who

follow events are eager for the results. People commend the House of Representatives for not adjourning. But the question that persists in the minds of critics in the town is “Will the efforts and hard work of the Economic committee, n particular, and the House of Representatives in

general be a show - similar to their predecessor - for the public or will the nation profit from these efforts?” Time will be the judge and the next few days will unveil the truth.