Somalia's supreme court rules the extension of presidential and parliamentary terms is unconstitutional

Somalia’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the constitutional mandates of the federal parliament, president and government expired in 2026, declaring actions taken by the institutions after the end of their terms unconstitutional and legally invalid. [ . . . ] The court rejected the first part of Sharif’s petition, which challenged the constitutionality of the amendment process, ruling that the former president lacked the legal standing to bring the case under Article 86 of the Provisional Constitution. However, it accepted the second part, which questioned the legality of measures arising from the constitutional changes, particularly the extension of the mandates of elected federal institutions. In its ruling, the court said constitutional amendments introducing new terms of office must explicitly state whether the changes apply to institutions already in office or only to those elected afterward. Where an amendment does not clearly address the issue, the new term cannot automatically be applied to sitting institutions, and their original mandates remain in force, the court said.
Read the full article here: Garowe Online