Somalia, 18 October 2025 — Somalia’s House of the People was forced to postpone its scheduled sitting on Saturday for the second time this session after failing to meet the required quorum.
Only 124 of the 275 lawmakers attended the session, which is short of the 139 members needed for parliament, as stipulated by parliamentary rules. Lawmakers had been expected to vote on Somalia’s ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and conduct the second reading of two key bills — the National Payment System Bill and the Anti-Piracy and Kidnapping Prevention Bill.
Some MPs who spoke outside the chamber called for greater accountability to ensure parliamentary sessions proceed as planned.
“It is unfortunate that sometimes some lawmakers stay in the city while others, without leave, skip sessions without any action taken. Therefore, I urge the Parliamentary Ethics Committee and the Speaker to take steps to address this issue,” MP Ibrahim Mo’allimo told reporters.
This marks the second time during the Parliament’s seventh session that a sitting has been postponed due to lack of quorum.
