President Mohamud Urges Parliament to Focus on Elections, Political Reform and National Unity

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Federal government of Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has urged parliament to focus on the country’s political transition, elections and development of the political party system as lawmakers enter a critical period of their mandate.

Speaking at a ceremony in Mogadishu honouring members and leadership of the Federal Parliament’s House of the People, the president praised the current parliament for what he described as a greater focus on debate and legislative work compared with previous assemblies.

He contrasted the conduct of the current House with earlier parliaments, saying past sessions had sometimes been marked by intense disputes and disorder, including incidents in which parliamentary equipment and furniture were damaged.

He said the current parliament had increasingly concentrated on legislative debates and issues affecting ordinary Somalis.

President Mohamud said the House of the People still faced important responsibilities before the end of its mandate, particularly as Somalia debates the future of its electoral system and political parties.

The president’s remarks come as Somalia enters a politically sensitive period, with disagreements over elections, political participation and the country’s wider state-building process remaining central to national debate.

He called on lawmakers to approach those issues as part of their responsibility to the country’s future and urged parliament and other state institutions to maintain their focus on serving the public.

The president also praised the parliamentary leadership and lawmakers, describing their positions as carrying a major responsibility at a time when Somalia continues to confront political, security and development challenges.

Political Dialogue

President Mohamud said Somalis had the right to hold different political views and express their opinions on national issues.

He said the federal government did not seek to impose a single political position on the population, but instead wanted to build greater national cohesion and create a political environment in which Somalis with different views could work together.

The comments are significant as political debate intensifies over Somalia’s electoral arrangements and the transition towards a more direct system of political participation.

The president also pointed to what he described as progress in diplomacy, state-building and the recovery of national institutions, saying Somalia was emerging from decades of instability despite wider global challenges.

He acknowledged that the international environment remained difficult but said Somalia had already overcome many of the problems that had affected the country for years.

With elections and political reforms dominating Somalia’s political agenda, parliament faces pressure to help provide a framework for the next phase of the country’s political transition.

The president’s message places particular emphasis on dialogue and national unity at a time when competing political positions are shaping debate over how Somalia should organise future elections and political representation.

He also urged parliament and other government institutions to strengthen their efforts to serve citizens and work towards national unity and Somalia’s development.