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MOGADISHU, (Insidesomalia.org) --The Parliamentary Unity Block, a recently formed parliamentary alliance, in the southern Somali town of Baidoa, Sunday named Abdullahi sheikh Ismael as their chairman and vowed to fight proposed changes to the national charter to allowing non-parliamentarians to hold the Premiership and become members of the cabinet.
Mohamed Qanyare Afrah, a prominent member of the KIB, says the members of the block will not be tempted by “bribes”.
“We will work to defend the charter and will be take bribes to change the law”, Qanyare said in a local radio, “this is the responsibility of every responsible lawmaker”
The block, known as KIB from it Somali acronym, was formed to support Ali Gedi the recently resigned Somali Premier at the height of the rift between him and Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf.
This Parliamentary allaince says it has more than 120 MPs in its membership and will work together to block the changes to the charter whose debate is expected to start Monday.
The proposed changes are part of recommendations from the government sponsored National reconciliation conference that was held in Mogadishu but was boycotted by major opposition groups who demanded the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia before they can talk with the government.
Meanwhile the Banadir Regional Administration banned the staging of unauthorized demonstrations in the Somali capital which has been the scene of ant-Ethiopian demonstration and bloody confrontation between Ethiopian troops and insurgents.
Hundreds of people have staged protests in the capital during the past four days demanding the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops who many in Somalia see as enemy.
The regional Security Council of Banadir issued the ban Sunday after a meeting chaired by Mohamed Dheere, the governor of Banadir and mayor of Mogadishu, according to Mohamed Mohyadiin, Banadir Regional authority Spokesman.
Mohyadiin said that demonstrations can only be held if permit is issued from Banadir regional court.
“Any one who stages a demonstration without asking the court will be seen as trouble maker and will be dealt with as such” Mohyadiin told reporters in Mogadishu.
The regional authorities also called on residents in the capital who have been fleeing the city to escape the renewed violence of the past days to stay home and asked those who already left to return home.
Mogadishu has seen violent demonstrations against the presence of Ethiopian troops, who, along with Somali government forces, have been involved in violent battles with Islamist insurgents since the ousting of the Islamic Courts last December.
The latest clashes in the restive city left dozens, mainly civilians, dead and scores of others wounded, according to medical sources in the capital.
Thousands of Ethiopian troops are currently deployed in the Horn of African nation after the troops crossed into Somalia late last year to help the interim Somali government oust an Islamist movement that has been in power in much of southern and central Somalia including Mogadishu, the capital.
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