Inter-party talks in Somalia stall after disagreement over constitutional and electoral changes

The meeting between the federal government of Somalia and the opposition coalition collapsed, Sunday, with organisers now rescheduling it to August 13th, but without a guarantee of attendance from a section of leaders. [ . . . ] The disagreements centre on how to unify political positions ahead of the 2026 elections and on whether to amend key sections of the provisional constitution. Should the meeting take place on Wednesday, it will be the fifth time the teams have met. President Hassan Sheikh's decision to push for constitutional amendments has partly contributed to the downfall within the political class, with critics accusing him of pursuing the changes for his benefit. Besides the opposition leaders, Jubaland and Puntland have disowned the changes. Under the new order, Hassan Sheikh is pushing for the implementation of the constitution that would lead to abandoning the old electoral model — indirect polls, which would be replaced by direct polls, popularly known as universal suffrage.
Read the full article here: Garowe Online