Somalia’s president hails constitutional amendments as historic end to country’s transition
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday praised parliament’s approval of constitutional amendments, declaring the move a historic shift that takes the country from a transitional phase to a fully established state with a firm legal foundation. In a lengthy address to the nation, Mohamud said Somalia had long sought a constitution […]
Black News 
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday praised parliament’s approval of constitutional amendments, declaring the move a historic shift that takes the country from a transitional phase to a fully established state with a firm legal foundation.
In a lengthy address to the nation, Mohamud said Somalia had long sought a constitution under which its government could rule and that would provide the legal basis for state institutions. He said that aspiration has now been realized.
The president emphasized that any article of the constitution that faced objections or calls for revision had been modified during the process. He accused opponents of the amendments – including the presidents of Jubaland and Puntland as well as several opposition figures – of seeking to preserve the status quo under the country’s provisional constitution. Mohamud said his government would not allow Somalia to revert to what he described as a past era.
Speaking about the collapse of talks with the opposition, Mohamud said they had insisted that discussions should exclude the constitution and its amendments, seeking instead to maintain its provisional status. His government rejected that position, he said, adding that the opposition preferred to focus on other political issues, including elections, while avoiding negotiations over constitutional changes.
The constitutional approval followed weeks of turmoil in parliament. Opposition lawmakers staged protests against debating and approving the amendments, leading authorities to bar dozens of them from attending parliamentary sessions.
Opposition MPs argued that parliament’s session had already concluded and that lawmakers were due to begin their recess, making debate over the controversial constitutional changes illegal.
The Somali Future Council – a bloc bringing together the administrations of Jubaland and Puntland along with opposition figures – strongly condemned parliament’s approval of the amendments. The council said the measure failed to secure the two-thirds majority required from Somalia’s bicameral legislature for constitutional approval.
The group also argued that a constitution cannot be adopted under what it described as intimidation, bribery and coercion of lawmakers by the government. It said it continues to recognize the provisional constitution established in Garowe in 2012 under international oversight as the country’s only legitimate constitution.
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