By Abdi Mohamed

MOGADISHU (Sunatimes)- Since last Thursday when Somali parliament extended their term by three more years, there has been a widening gap in relations between the parliament and the international community.

The agenda for the last parliament session in which MPs extended their term in office was kept secret until the last minute and was attended by the highest number of parliamentarians in recent sessions held in Mogadishu.

before reaching the final verdict on the extension of parliament's term, the Speaker of parliament, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, told the MPs that the international community will oppose a long-term extension. MPs attending the session turned a deaf year on the Speaker's caution and after a long debate, they decided to extend their term by three years from August 2011, when the government's term will expire.

The unexpected extension of parliament's term came as a surprise to many donor countries and international organizations that closely follow the situation in Somalia and has been fiercely opposed by these sides. The UN, EU, US, Britain, France and Italy have all expressed concerns over the extension of the parliament's term and said the decision was made in haste and is gunacceptableh to the international community.

The Speaker of parliament held a news conference in Mogadishu a day after the extension and urged the international community to support the Somali parliament.

The office of UN special envoy to Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, has issued a statement saying the extension of the parliament's term by another three years was made gwithout accommodations or provisions and urged the MPs to reconsider their decision.

A number of MPs have since held several news conferences in Mogadishu in which they said it is inappropriate for the UN envoy to talk about the affairs of the Somali parliament.

Apart from the international community's rejection of this extension, various sections of the Somali public have also given a mixed reaction to the issue.

Muhamed Hasan, the spokesman for the dominant Hawiye clan, said the parliament did not consult the public on the decision to extend its term.

The question many are asking is, will the Somali parliament continue to get the support it does from the international community in light of the current conflict and what effect will a reversal of the decision have, if at all they do, on their relations with the international community?

Abdalla Bos, a Somali MP told the media in Mogadishu that the parliament will not reverse its decision even if the international community decides to cut its funding to the Somali parliament.

Also joining the mounting rejection of the decision to extend parliament's term is Prime Minister Muhammad Abdullahi's administration. The deputy minister of public affairs said parliament extended its term in office without giving it much thought and it was an unwise move.

The Somali parliament, which has so far been in existence in the last seven years, stands accused of failing to do much in the country. It is difficult to see how they can make any difference with these additional three years.

Sunatimes.com

Email: [email protected]