Somalia: Somali Opposition Group Challenges Election of New Lower House Speaker

Mogadishu — The Somali Future Council has challenged the election of a new speaker of Somalia's House of the People, arguing that parliament's constitutional mandate expired in April and that the vote lacks a valid legal basis.

In a statement, the council said the Federal Parliament's mandate ended on April 14, 2026, and therefore questioned its authority to elect a new speaker.

The group also argued that the terms of senior government institutions could not be extended without a constitutional or political agreement involving the country's main political stakeholders.

The council accused the federal government of pursuing an electoral process outside what it described as the country's legal framework, warning that decisions made without broad political agreement could deepen divisions and produce institutions whose legitimacy is disputed.

It called for electoral and constitutional disputes to be addressed through political dialogue and an inclusive agreement involving Somalia's political actors.

The council said that an expired mandate could not be used as the basis for creating a new mandate, and urged all sides to resolve disputes over elections and terms of office through constitutional procedures and political consensus.

The statement followed the election of a new speaker of the House of the People in Mogadishu, highlighting the continuing disagreement between the federal government and opposition groups over Somalia's electoral process and political transition.

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