Somalia: Parliament Mandate Expires as President Faces 30-Day Countdown

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia entered a period of constitutional vacuum on Tuesday as the constitutional mandate of the Federal Parliament officially expired, triggering a wave of resignations by lawmakers. In contrast, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s tenure enters its final 30 days.

While the four-year terms for both the House of the People and the Upper House ended on April 14, Speaker of the House Adan Madobe recently announced that Parliament would extend its stay in office by one year. The move is intended to facilitate the federal government’s transition to a "one-person, one-vote" electoral system—a plan that remains deeply contested by regional states and opposition figures.

Several members of Parliament announced their resignations as the clock struck midnight on their legal mandate, describing the extension as a violation of the constitution.

"Since the period for which we were elected has ended, I have decided to uphold the law and return to my constituents," said one resigning lawmaker. "I do not wish to hold a seat through an extension that lacks broad political consensus."

The legislative crisis is compounded by a looming executive deadline. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has just 30 days remaining in his term, with no visible preparations underway for a presidential election by the May 15 deadline.

The federal government maintains that the extension is a constitutional necessity to prevent a power vacuum while finalizing the national electoral framework for 2027.

However, the mass resignations and the approaching end of the presidency have placed unprecedented pressure on the country’s leadership amid a widening rift with regional administrations.

GAROWE ONLINE