Previous vote in the Somali Parliament (Reuters - Archive)
The Somali Parliament approved constitutional amendments that include changing the system of government from parliamentary to presidential, adopting a direct universal suffrage system, and extending the presidential term from 4 years to 5.
Parliament approved these amendments, today, Saturday, with the approval of 254 votes out of 275 members of the People’s Assembly, in addition to 42 out of 45 members of the Senate, according to what was announced by the Speaker of the People’s Assembly (Parliament), Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe.
Madobe described this step as historic, and pledged to continue reviewing the remaining amendments until the interim constitution, which was adopted in 2012, was completed.
The official Somali News Agency (SONA) said that Parliament approved 4 chapters of the country's interim constitution after reviewing them.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Reuters)
The amendments stipulate that the country's president will be elected directly by the people instead of parliament, and the presidential term will be 5 years instead of 4. The country's president also has the right to appoint and dismiss the head of government.
The amendments stipulate the adoption of only 3 political parties in the country, instead of the tribal quota system that has prevailed for years, and the number of members of the Election Commission at the federal level becomes 18 members.
The constitutional amendments were met with opposition from the country's former presidents and political figures, as they grant broad powers to President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, which may pave the way for his re-election, according to opponents of the amendments.
Former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo said, “This constitution, which will be implemented according to an illegal process and is not accepted by society, will never be recognized as constitutional and legal,” stressing that this “does not represent the current political situation in the country and the pillars that were at the heart of it.” Somali reconciliation and power sharing.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies