By Asha Elmi - Reporter
MOGADISHU, September 27, 2026 Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has defended the five-year term set out in the amended constitution, saying it is not long and may be insufficient to complete major national projects.
In an interview with Dawan TV's Miizaan Podcast published on Saturday, Hamza said large projects require time to plan and carry out. A four-year term, he said, could end before a project started by one administration had made substantial progress.
"I think even five years is short. It is not long," he said.
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Hamza also said he had supported creating the post of vice president, an issue debated during the constitutional review. He said many provisions he had personally wanted were changed before parliament voted on the text.The prime minister defended the process used to complete the constitutional changes, saying contentious political issues had been discussed before the draft was submitted to parliament for further debate and a vote.
He said completing the constitution, holding one-person, one-vote elections and fighting Al-Shabaab were commitments politicians had repeatedly made to the public.
The five-year term and constitutional changes remain subjects of dispute among Somali political leaders.