Somalia’s federal parliament approved sweeping constitutional amendments Wednesday, escalating political tensions as opposition groups and regional authorities denounced the process as unlawful and illegitimate.
Lawmakers from both chambers met at Villa Hargeysa in Mogadishu to finalize long-delayed revisions to Somalia’s provisional constitution, covering Chapters 4 through 15.
Parliament convened with 186 House of the People members and 36 senators. Thirty-six senators voted in favor, one remotely, and 185 lower house members unanimously approved.
Speaker Sheikh Adan Madoobe declared the constitution formally approved, calling the vote a major milestone in Somalia’s state-building agenda under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Opposition leaders rejected the amendments, claiming violations of parliamentary bylaws, constitutional procedures, and the required two-thirds majority, insisting only the 2012 Provisional Constitution is legitimate.
Puntland and Jubaland also opposed the vote, exposing deepening divisions between the federal government and member states, raising concerns about Somalia’s political instability and governance challenges.
