The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, officially opened the 6th session of the 11th Federal Parliament of Somalia today, commending the leadership, members of the House of the People, and the Upper House for their significant work during the previous parliamentary sessions.
The President spoke about the operations aimed at liberating areas under the control of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, praising the Somali National Army, the Local fighters (Macawisleey), and the Puntland Security Forces for their sacrifice in strengthening security and protecting the nation’s sovereignty.
He also highlighted the threat posed by ISIS to the movement in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
“We stand with the Puntland security forces and the people of those regions who have provided invaluable lessons to Al-Shabaab.
This is a righteous battle, and it is our duty to support our brothers and sisters who are fighting for liberation and the restoration of our dignity.”
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also mentioned that the political agreements reached in the National Consultative Assembly and the approval by Parliament of the first four chapters of the Constitution paved the way for the implementation of direct elections, overcoming the challenges of indirect elections that hindered the country’s state-building process.
He urged Parliament to finalize the remaining chapters of the Constitution in this session to overcome the conflicts that have hampered Somalia’s state-building efforts.
“Brothers and sisters, the Somali people are looking to us.They trust us with the responsibility of moving away from the outdated system of indirect elections. We must give them the opportunity to free their minds, express their opinions, and freely elect those who will represent them.It would be foolish to return to the failed system of appointments and indirect elections.”
The President also mentioned the success of the debt forgiveness achieved at the end of 2023 and emphasized the importance of Somalia benefiting from its natural resources.
He stated that the Federal Government of Somalia has not taken any new loans in the past period and has focused on managing the economy through the taxes paid by the Somali people.
He commended the business community and all Somali taxpayers for their commitment to the development and stabilization of the country.