MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Friday that the mandate of Somalia’s federal government will officially expire on May 15, 2027, arguing that the timeline is stipulated under the country’s newly implemented constitution and is not a personal decision.
In a lengthy speech marking Somalia’s Youth Day celebrations, the president said the revised constitutional framework sets the term of the federal government and parliament at five years, adding that authorities would continue operating under that system while preparing for universal suffrage elections.
Hassan Sheikh defended recent constitutional amendments and plans for one-person, one-vote elections, saying the government was implementing promises previously made to the public, including completing the constitution, establishing political parties and moving away from Somalia’s longstanding indirect electoral model.
He said Somalia had made progress in rebuilding state institutions, improving international relations and emerging from diplomatic isolation, citing the country’s membership on the United Nations Security Council and reforms at the central bank as examples.
The president also criticised politicians opposing the planned electoral reforms, saying some sought to preserve the clan-based 4.5 power-sharing system and indirect voting model, which he said had contributed to instability and violence in the past.
The remarks come amid growing political tensions in Somalia over the electoral process and the future direction of the country’s political transition.
