Wednesday December 27, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and several high-level politicians from his Hawiye clan discussed the country's political issues, focusing on the amendment of the constitution.
The meeting held in Mogadishu was attended by former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre, lawmaker Abdirahman Abdishakur, and MP Abdikhqadir Osoble.
During the meeting, President Mohamud agreed to reinstate the Puntland regional state to the National Consultative Council (NCC) forum and to amend the constitution following the process outlined in chapter 15 of the transitional constitution.
They also agreed to appoint ten lawmakers from the President's side and five MPs from the politician's side to enhance the discussions, including representatives from other clans.
Reports suggest that the two sides reached a preliminary understanding on critical issues, although no official statement was released after the meeting.
In May of last year, the National Consultative Council (NCC), comprising federal leaders such as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, along with four regional leaders and the Mayor of Mogadishu, agreed to introduce direct elections as early as next year and unify the election schedules. They also endorsed the establishment of a presidential system for the country.
Local council elections are set to take place on June 30 of next year, followed by regional parliamentary and regional leadership elections on November 30 of the same year. The leaders had agreed that only two political parties would compete for power in the country. It's worth noting that the current political parties law does not limit the number of political parties.
However, former government leaders emphasized that the President cannot unilaterally make decisions regarding the implementation of the country's elections. Such decisions must involve consultation with all political stakeholders and various sectors of society, following the country's laws.