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Friday March 29, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s parliament is scheduled to vote on the country’s amended provisional constitution in a joint session on Saturday in Mogadishu. Former presidents Farmajo, Sheikh Sharif, and the Puntland state have opposed the process.
During a joint parliamentary session in Mogadishu on Thursday, lawmakers deliberated on the final draft of the amended proposal, marking the third phase of the constitutional review process.
The chairman of the constitutional review committee, Hussein Idow, stated that 7,470 Somali citizens had expressed their views and recommendations on the new amendment, with 213,838 Somali citizens having seen the constitution.
One provision in the final draft stated that the country will have a President and a Prime Minister, with the President having the authority to appoint and remove the Prime Minister from office.
Previously, the constitution stated that the President would appoint the Prime Minister, who would then require a vote of confidence from parliament. Simultaneously, parliament could remove the Prime Minister through a vote of no confidence.
Other provisions added to the amended constitution, which are still under debate, include setting the term of office for government constitutional bodies at five years, referring to regional state presidents as leaders, and establishing three political parties in the country.
Meanwhile, the Puntland regional state argued that Somalia’s federal, democratic, and multi-party system should not be unilaterally amended. Puntland officials expressed concern that the changes discussed in the National Consultative Forum (NCC) without Puntland’s input violated the cooperative spirit intended for the nation’s recovery and governance.
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