Somalia’s bicameral parliament has on Wednesday approved a resolution paving the way for constitutional changes in a chaotic session in the Nation capital Mogadishu.
180 lawmakers voted in favour of the resolution for amendments to the constitution while 30 MPs rejected it according to the Speaker of the House of the People Sheikh Adan Madobe.
The National Consultative Council meeting in May last year that convened the Somali Federal government and the Federal Member States leaders endorsed a resolution to introduce direct universal suffrage elections.
The agreement also paved away for Presidential system of governance discarding the current Parliamentary system where members of parliament chose the President and the head of state in turn picks his Prime Minister.
Somalia has since the year 2000 had indirect elections where clan elders pick members of parliament who in turn vote for the President.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has since his re-election in May 2022 have been involved in initiatives aimed at revamping the political and governance system of Somalia despite opposition from former leaders who raised concern over the overhaul of the constitution at this critical time.
In the security sector, President Mohamud launched a civilian led uprising against Al-Shabaab militant group which has borne fruits since its inception in 2022.