Mogadishu(Mogadishu24)-Somalia's Federal Parliament on Saturday overwhelmingly passed four chapters of the proposed amendments into the provisional constitution in a joint session by the two Houses here in Mogadishu.
Speaker of the Lower House of the Parliament, Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur (Madobe) announced that 254 members from both Houses attended today's session, saying that all the lawmakers excluding him, voted in favor of the constitution.
Chairperson of the Committee for the Constitutional Review, Hussein Idow thanked parliamenterian for approving the four chapters from the 11th of Chapters of the provisional constitution, saying that it is a historic day for Somalia.
"“To those who say that we’re rushing the completion of the provisional constitution, my response is that we’ve been chronically delayed since we’ve waited for over ten years” Mursal M. Khalif, an Mp said, adding that Somalia’s Federal Parliament is taking the first step in fulfilling the sacred duty of completing our provisional constitution.
The proposed amendments of the provisional constitution faced controversial debates and oppositions mainly from former Presidents of the country, members of the Parliament , politicians and Puntland State in Somalia, but their rejection did not stop from the parliament and Government to push their intention forward.
Abdirahman Abdishakur, a member of Parliament accused President Hassan Sheikh of intending to unilaterally alter the constitution, shifting the country from its current hybrid parliamentary democracy to a system that grants the president extensive powers. However, this transition towards a one-man rule lacks inclusivity in terms of constitutional change, as the amendments were drafted without transparency and under the president's control.
"This divisive action will not only worsen the country's existing challenges, such as terrorist attacks, widespread unemployment, corruption, and an economic crisis, but it will also widen the gap of mistrust among the nation", Abdishakur said on X.
