President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud officially opened the 3rd session of the Federal Parliament in Mogadishu on Monday and highlighted the progress made by his administration in security, debt relief programs, and democratization of the country.

During his keynote remarks, Mohamud also gave an update to lawmakers on the outcome of the recent National Consultative Council historic summit in Mogadishu.

Mohamud praised the work done by the Parliament in the second session, which approved 11 laws. He urged the council to form committees to review parliamentary law and emphasized the importance of having a complete law written by Somali experts that represents the needs of the Somali people.

In his speech, Mohamud also commended the National Army for their efforts in fighting against Al-Shabaab and vowed to eliminate the terrorist group. He stated, ‘On behalf of Somali scholars who have realized that Al-Shabaab is a terrorist organization, it is necessary to fight them with all means and thoughts.’

Additionally, Mohamud stressed the Somali government’s commitment to tackling corruption and stated that stealing from the public will not be tolerated. He urged citizens to pay their taxes and promised to catch those who engage in corrupt practices.

Mohamud also underlined the importance of debt relief, which has been ongoing since 2012 and is now close to completion according to the International Monetary Fund. He visualized for the people how the country would look post-debt clearing off over 5 billion US dollars owed to Somalia by different countries and international financial institutions.

The president warned that the constitution review will be a perpetuated endless project discussed in foreign countries and stated that ‘It belongs to Somalia and it’s up to Somalis to pay off.’

The opening of the third session of the Federal Parliament was attended by a delegation from the Djibouti Parliament led by Permanent Secretary Saleeban Dahir Bile.

Source: Somali National News Agency