Somaliland MPs decide to prolong president’s term

• Somaliland’s parliament has extended the term of President Muse Bihi Abdi by two years.
• This comes ahead of the president’s scheduled expiration in November.
• The electoral organisation for the region had delayed the presidential election due to a variety of issues.

The present term of office for President Muse Bihi Abdi has been extended by two years in the breakaway territory of Somalia known as Somaliland, according to the chairman of the senate on Saturday. This comes ahead of the term’s scheduled expiration in November.

The electoral organisation for the region said a month ago that it would be delaying the presidential election that was scheduled to take place in November to November 2023 due to a variety of issues, including a lack of time and financial resources.

Saleeban Mahmoud Aden, the leader of Somaliland’s senate, reported on Saturday that 72 members of Somaliland’s parliament decided to extend Abdi’s tenure by a “two-year period.” There was a disagreement from one member of parliament.

In August, violent demonstrations led by supporters of the opposition broke out across the region. The protesters demanded that elections be held in November despite the widespread belief that the president intended to delay the election in order to serve an additional term.

In the immediate aftermath of the decision by parliament to extend the president’s term in office, there was no reaction from the opposition.

In 1991, Somaliland successfully declared its independence from Somalia; nevertheless, the international community has been slow to recognise this achievement. While the region as a whole has been relatively quiet, Somalia has been struggling through three decades of civil strife.

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