Somalia’s parliament has approved constitutional amendments that could extend the president’s term by one year and postpone upcoming elections. The vote took place on Wednesday, with analysts continuing to debate the potential implications.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomed parliament’s backing of the changes at a press conference, noting that the approval process “had dragged for a long period.”
Somalia has faced decades of conflict and clan-based disputes, leaving the country without a strong central government since the fall of former ruler Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Although an African Union peacekeeping mission has weakened the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, the group continues to control large rural areas and can launch strikes in major population centres.
Samira Gaid, an analyst with the Mogadishu-based think tank Balqiis, said the implications of the constitutional amendments remain unclear. “The constitutional change doesn’t automatically extend the current president’s term, but it is a matter of interpretation. For now, the president is being very careful not to say that he is extending his term because of potential criticism from the international community,” she explained.
Gaid added that the elections originally scheduled for May are likely to be delayed regardless, as there is currently no agreed-upon electoral framework.
The amendments have drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers and are being closely watched by the international community amid ongoing instability in the Horn of Africa nation.
