Somali Parliament wraps Chapter Four debate, opens divisive Chapter Five in constitutional review
Monday, February 9, 2026
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MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal parliament on Monday closed debate on Chapter Four of the Provisional Constitution and formally opened deliberations on Chapter Five, pressing ahead with a high-stakes constitutional review that has laid bare deep political rifts between federal leaders, opposition lawmakers and member states.
- Lawmakers concluded discussions on Articles 49, 50 and 54, which define federalism, center–state relations and the division of powers.
- Chapter Five review began as part of the second phase of Somalia’s long-delayed constitutional overhaul.
- Twenty-five suspended MPs, who oppose amendments, were absent after being barred over alleged disruptions.
- Opposition figures and some member states, including Puntland State and Jubbaland, warn of centralization; the federal government argues reforms are crucial to stabilizing governance.
The joint sitting at the House of the People headquarters marked the seventh session of parliament’s 12th joint meeting. Debate on Chapter Four centered on proposed changes to Articles 49, 50 and 54 — provisions that anchor Somalia’s federal model by delineating how power is shared between Mogadishu and the federal member states.
The session was chaired by the first deputy speaker of the Upper House, Ali Shabaan Ibrahim, alongside the second deputy speaker of the House of the People, Abdullahi Omar Abshirow, and the second deputy speaker of the Upper House, Abdullahi Hirsi Timacadde. After closing Chapter Four, Ibrahim announced that deliberations on Chapter Five will continue in the coming sittings, underscoring that lawmakers face additional complex — and potentially divisive — choices ahead.
Monday’s proceedings went ahead without 25 lawmakers previously suspended from joint sessions for alleged disruptions. The group, which restated its position in Mogadishu on Sunday night, reiterated strong opposition to changing the Provisional Constitution and warned parliamentary leaders against advancing amendments without broad political agreement and a shared national vision. They argue any constitutional changes should be built on consensus among federal institutions, member states and other key stakeholders.
The constitutional review has emerged as one of Somalia’s most polarizing political battles. Several opposition figures and federal member states — notably Puntland State and Jubbaland — have pushed back against aspects of the proposed revisions, cautioning that they could weaken federalism by concentrating power in the center. The federal government, by contrast, maintains the overhaul is essential to completing Somalia’s constitutional framework, clarifying institutions’ mandates and consolidating a more predictable system of governance.
Monday’s shift to Chapter Five keeps parliament on a tight and politically fraught trajectory. While details of the next round of articles have not been publicly outlined in the session’s communiqué, the debate is expected to sharpen longstanding questions about the balance of authority, resource allocation and the mechanics of intergovernmental coordination.
As the second phase of the review moves forward, the legislature will be tested on its capacity to mediate entrenched disagreements and translate broad principles of federalism into workable, widely accepted rules. With a bloc of suspended MPs vowing resistance and skeptical member states maintaining pressure, the path to a durable constitutional settlement remains uncertain — but the momentum inside parliament suggests leaders intend to keep the process moving.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
