Somali Parliament Approves Provisional Constitution Amid Sharp Rejection From Opposition, Regional Units

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Members of both houses of Somalia’s Federal Parliament have jointly approved the country’s official Constitution during a joint session held in Mogadishu, even as Puntland authorities and opposition leaders rejected the changes.
A total of 222 lawmakers voted in favor of the document, including 185 members of the House of the People and 37 senators from the Upper House, passing the Constitution by majority vote.
The result was announced by Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur (Adan Madoobe), who presided over the joint parliamentary sitting.
However, Puntland has rejected the constitutional changes, arguing that the amendments were carried out without broad national consensus and consultation with Federal Member States.
Opposition leaders, convened under the umbrella of the Somali Future Council, have also dismissed the process, accusing the federal government of pushing through unilateral constitutional changes and undermining Somalia’s federal political agreement.
The Constitution adopted in 2012 has long been considered provisional, with Somali institutions tasked with reviewing and finalizing it through parliamentary processes and public consultation.
The Provisional Constitution itself outlines the procedure for adopting a final constitution. Article 136 states that in a referendum concerning the Provisional Constitution as amended, held before the end of the first term of the House of the People, the electorate of the Federal Republic of Somalia may adopt the new Constitution by a majority vote in favor of the final version of the Constitution.
However, given the current political tensions and institutional readiness, a nationwide constitutional referendum does not appear foreseeable at the moment.