Mogadishu — Sheikh Aden Madobe, the speaker of the Lower House Chamber of Parliament has hosted a banquet dinner for former speakers of the house.

The Madobe, Sharif Hassan, and Mohamed Osman Jawari discussed the current political situation in Somalia as well as the work of the national assembly during the dinner.

Their meeting came following the conclusion of a national dialogue hosted by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud this week in Mogadishu, which they were in attendance.

Somali government is reaching out to former leaders to consult on the national priorities as the country is now at war with Al-Shabaab and facing many challenges, including drought.

The president has also vowed that the military operations to flush out al-Shabab militants from their strongholds will be intensified to stop extortion of the Somali people and the spread of propaganda, intimidation, and extremism in Somalia.

The talks also came after an agreement between the government and the federal member states was reached in May providing for the introduction of direct universal suffrage from 2024 and the transition to a presidential system.