In brief
- On 2013-10-13, Somaliland Sun reported that 82 House of Elders members would each pay 100 dollars per month for one year toward the Burao–Erigavo road.
- The declaration was approved by 33 votes with 3 against and 1 abstention, though legal experts said it could not be legally enforced.
- The report does not establish whether any contributions were actually paid or what has happened since.
On 13 October 2013, Somaliland Sun reported that 82 members of the House of Elders would take part in a fundraising campaign for the Erigavo road, each paying 100 dollars per month for one year. The report described the campaign as "controversial" and initiated by the executive branch of government.
The declaration, approved in a Saturday session by 33 votes with 3 members rejecting and 1 abstaining, obliged each member of the Upper House of Parliament to contribute 100 dollars monthly for a year to construction of the road between Burao and Erigavo, which the report estimated at more than 400 km. No date was given for the Saturday session.
A committee led by MP Omer Nuur Waye recommended the resolution for approval, and the Council of the Elders had mandated the committee to provide suggestions on the House's role in the "self-help project" to re-construct the road.
Somaliland Sun reported that weeks earlier, members of the House of Representatives had a fist fight during discussion of the same resolution, which met fierce opposition. MP Reyte and other MPs claimed that no one in the country could be forced to give contribution through presidential decree. The report also stated, without attribution, that members of the armed forces, parliamentarians and civil servants can only give contributions voluntarily, and that no law or resolution obliges anyone to pay without consent. Legal experts, unnamed by Somaliland Sun, stressed that the declaration could not be legally enforced.
The report does not establish what happened after 13 October 2013. It gives no evidence that any of the 82 members actually paid, how much was collected, or how funds were spent. It does not state the total project cost, contractor, funder, or construction status of the road. The currency is given only as "dollar."
Frequently asked questions
What was the contribution amount and duration?
Each of the 82 House of Elders members would pay 100 dollars per month for one year, according to Somaliland Sun's 2013 report.
Was the declaration legally enforceable?
Legal experts, unnamed by Somaliland Sun, said it could not be legally enforced; the report also stated contributions can only be voluntary.
What is the current status of the Erigavo road?
The 2013 report does not provide any update on construction status; nothing in the evidence establishes what has happened since.