MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Yesterday, on Wednesday, a new constitution—recently pushed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud—was passed to Somalia’s parliament, a move that would extend the president’s term by one year.
Although the law and the Rules of Procedure of the Somali Parliament require a two-thirds quorum of members from both houses—comprising the Lower House and the Upper House—to attend joint sessions, the meeting reportedly failed to reach the required number of lawmakers.
According to the latest figures on attendance, as many as 132 members of parliament were absent from yesterday’s session, opposition lawmakers who oppose the constitutional amendments said today.
Those absent included 20 members of the Upper House and 112 members of the Lower House, all of whom are said to oppose the proposed constitutional changes.
Among the absent lawmakers was the Speaker of the Upper House, Abdi Hashi Abdullahi.
Lower House Speaker Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, who chaired the session, stated that some lawmakers voted online, despite parliamentary rules specifying only three voting methods that require the physical presence of members during voting.
A dozen of lawmakers from Puntland were held at a hotel near Mogadishu’s airport, where they had been stuck for four days after being prevented from boarding a flight to Garowe on Sunday, when their flight was turned back.
There are also allegations that individuals who were not members of parliament attended the session and participated in the vote, according to photos taken inside the parliament.
Two clerics known for strongly supporting President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud were seen raising their hands during the show-of-hands vote.
Term extension in the new Constitution
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has recently been pushing for the adoption of a new constitution, which he describes as amendments to Somalia’s Provisional Constitution that has been in place since 2012.
The new constitution would extend the presidential term from four years to five years, effectively granting the current president an additional year in office.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s current term is set to expire on May 15, 2026. Opposition groups have said they will not accept any extension beyond that date, warning that it could trigger a political crisis.
The federal member states of Puntland and Jubaland have condemned the constitutional changes, stating that they only recognize Somalia’s Provisional Constitution.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, however, has described the constitutional change as a historic step.