By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Crisis broke out on Wednesday at a joint session of Somalia’s parliament following at attempt to pu I’msh a proposed constitutional amendments that seeks to extend the tenure limit of parliamentarians.
Opposition lawmakers kicked against the move, a development that stirred chaos of the floor of the parliament, forcing the suspension of sitting.
Somalia has been under a provisional constitution since 2012, and several efforts to finalize it have exposed deep divisions over governance and power-sharing between the federal government and regional states.
A similar attempt to extend political mandates under former President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed triggered a constitutional crisis in 2021 and led to armed confrontations in Mogadishu, pushing the country to the brink of wider unrest.
The Speaker on Wednesday had suddenly announced an agenda to amend five chapters of the provisional constitution, moving ahead to distribute written copies to lawmakers at the beginning of the session.
Opposition lawmakers said the proposed amendments would allow for a two-year extension of parliament’s term, which expires in April. The presidential term expires in May.
Videos shared on social media showed Internal Security Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, a member of the Upper House who supported the agenda, engaging in a physical confrontation with Hassan Yare, an opposition lawmaker. It was not immediately clear how the scuffle began.
Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsameh, an opposition lawmaker, accused Speaker Adan Madobe of attempting to rush through the amendments without following established legislative procedures.
Lawmakers opposed to the move tore up agenda papers, shouted slogans and blew whistles, bringing proceedings to a halt. Madobe adjourned the session, warning that disciplinary measures would be taken against those responsible for the disruptions.
It was not immediately clear when deliberations on the proposed amendments might resume.
