Somalia President Drops 2-year Term Extension, Accepts Dialogue with Political Rivals

WASHINGTON - Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed says he will no longer pursue a two-year extension of his presidential term, giving in to internal and international pressure to back away from a controversial resolution on the extension passed by the Lower House of Parliament.  The Statement by Prime Minister H.E @MohamedHRoble on the current situation in Mogadishu and Election Process in the country. pic.twitter.com/6T2EFeji9k We commend @MrQoorqoor, @AliGuudlaawe, and @MohamedHRoble for opposing a term extension and supporting the Sept. 17 election agreement. We urge @M_Farmaajo to accept the clear path to dialogue and peace. https://t.co/cWo1PvAjWf The EU praises the courage and sense of concertation by PM Roble and FMS proposing a consensus-based way forward towards fast elections and urge others to follow the path to previous commitments. Violence has no place in Somalia and dialogue is the only way forward.

In a televised address, Mohamed said he will appear before the Lower House of Parliament on Saturday to ask the lawmakers to restore last year’s agreement between the federal government and the leaders of five federal member states and the governor of Mogadishu.    The agreement known as the “September 17 agreement” called for the election of federal lawmakers through indirect elections. The lawmakers would then elect the president. The Lower House of Parliament invalidated that agreement on April 12, giving the executive and legislative branches two more years to prepare popular elections. Mohamed signed the resolution into law on April 13. The president's term expired on February 8, 2021, while the parliament's mandate exhausted on December 27, 2020.     “I shall on Saturday, appear before House of the People of our Republic to restore the September 17 process between Federal Government and Federal Member States,” he said.