Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on Tuesday signed a controversial measure that extends his official term by two years, reported Africa News.
The president signed the controversial law a day after the lower house of the parliament voted to extend President Abdullahi Mohamed’s four-year term, which expired in February, for two years while calling for direct elections during that time. Leaders of the Senate, however, called the vote illegal and the opposition lawmakers have denounced the extension.
Abdi Hashi Abdullahi, the speaker of the Senate upper house also condemned the move as unconstitutional. He warned that it would lead the country into political instability, risks of insecurity, and other unpredictable situations.
Notably, the president and the leaders of Somalia’s five semi-autonomous federal states had signed an agreement in September last year to prepare for elections in the country in late 2020 and early 2021. But the deal fell apart as Somalian political leaders could not decide on how to conduct the vote, with the regional states of Puntland and Jubbaland objecting to certain issues and the international community warning against holding a partial election.
Recent talks to resolve Somalia’s electoral impasse failed last week after the government blamed the leaders of Puntland and Jubaland. Those leaders have said they will no longer recognize Farmajo as president.
The international community had objected to a mandate extension and warned that the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group could take advantage of the country’s heated political divisions.
The United States and European Union have condemned the Somalian parliament’s move to extend the terms of the president and members of parliament by two years amid concern it could deepen divides in the country.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was deeply disappointed by the approval of the legislation. The international community has called for immediate elections to be held in Somalia.
