Somalia: Madobe's term extended in Jubaland after constitutional challenges

KISMAYO, Somalia - Jubaland leader Ahmed Madobe would stay a little longer in office after the regional state scrapped term limits, a move that now gives him an opportunity to continue ruling the western state of the country, as long as he wins in subsequent elections.  

Scrapping of the term limits comes at a time when Somalia is facing unprecedented political turmoil, including national constitutional changes, where President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has proposed an imperial presidency,  to be replicated in regional states. 

Madobe, who has been leading the state’s administration since 2013, will now be eligible to stand for re-election. The regional states have been having parallel term limits, forcing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to propose realignment of the national systems with the federal systems. 

The parliament also extended the duration of each term from four years to five, which is in line with recent constitutional changes at the federal level. The move was criticized by some opposition politicians.

Last year, the federal government and regional leaders agreed to hold direct regional leadership elections by Nov 30, 2024. Jubaland is the most recent state created in the Horn of Africa nation, which has struggled with instability for the last thirty years. 

In previous years, regional state leaders have been pushing for an extension of their terms, leading to an uproar nationally.  However,  the most recent proposal by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud could automatically solve the debacle.  

Somalia's struggle with statehood has been a story of both pain and gains but in recent times, the country has effectively handled Al-Shabaab militants and internal political wrangles. The government has given assurance of total Al-Shabaab defeat in the coming months. 

GAROWE ONLINE