Samira Gaid, a security analyst at the Balqis think tank, said it was unclear how the constitutional changes would affect the country’s politics or the current president’s term.
Samira, speaking to Reuters, said President Hassan Sheikh is being careful not to announce that he is extending his term, which could lead to criticism from the international community.
“The constitutional change does not directly extend the term of the current Somali president, but it is a matter that requires interpretation. For now, the president is being careful not to announce that he is extending his term because of possible criticism from the international community,” she said.
She also said that the elections scheduled for May will be postponed, as there is still no agreed electoral process, with the opposition opposing the new constitution and the extension.
However, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed the country’s new constitution yesterday, after both houses of parliament approved it on March 4.
The new constitution stipulates that the presidential term is five years, and that a person cannot hold both a ministerial and a parliamentary seat.
Its implementation will affect the structure of Somalia’s government, with most government ministers being members of both the lower and upper houses of parliament.
