By Hafsa Mursal
MOGADISHU– Members of the Somali Lower House have today debated the motion to extend the term of the president and the two houses that were previously presented to the assembly.
The meeting, which was highly awaited, was discussed by some members of the Federal Parliament of Somalia.
MP Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, the special envoy for humanitarian affairs, suggested that the motion be suspended, saying that it weakens the war. He said that “we have gone through a lot of problems due to the extensions of terms for a long time” and “the President who was in office was in danger, our lives were in danger” said Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame in his discussion.
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MP Abdirahman Cagaweyne differed with Mr. Abdishakur, saying he welcomes the extension of the term of Presidency.
Abdifitah Qasim, a member of the House of People who is also the deputy minister of the Ministry of Defense, said that this motion will bring One man One vote to the country.
This critical debate in Parliament started in February this year, when a committee was appointed led by MP Mahdi Guled.
Somali National Council Assembly meeting chaired by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday last week came with the proposal after days of deliberation in the capital Mogadishu.
The NCC also unanimously agreed to extend the term of the Federal Member States leaders and state MPs for another one year.
H.E. President @HassanSMohamud today presided over the National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting at @TheVillaSomalia. The agenda focuses on enhancing national security, preparations for the second phase of the fight against terrorism, completing debt relief procedures, and… pic.twitter.com/KF7SRHGHfR
— Villa Somalia (@TheVillaSomalia) May 24, 2023
The elections area set to take place on November 30, 2024. By then, the legal terms limits of all the current FMS presidents would have lapsed.
Somalia has not had a universal suffrage five decades following the collapse of the central government.
