Constitutional

DJIBOUTI CITY, April 22 — Djibouti’s Constitutional Council on Tuesday confirmed that President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has secured a sixth straight term, formally putting his share of the vote at 97.01% in the presidential election. Guelleh, 78, has been in power since 1999, making him one of the Horn of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Early figures published soon after the April 10 ballot had already pointed to another overwhelming victory for the incumbent, with preliminary results showing him ahead on 97.81% of the vote…

AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State has said Somalia has slipped into a constitutional vacuum, warning that the country’s political atmosphere is growing more fragile and urging immediate talks to avert deeper instability. In a statement issued Thursday, Puntland State’s cabinet said that under Article 60 of Somalia’s provisional constitution, the mandate of the Federal Parliament expired on April 14, 2026. It also said the term of the president of the Federal Government of Somalia will come to an end on May 15, 2026, in line…

Wednesday April 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Tuesday sounded the alarm over what he called a dangerous political turning point for Somalia after the federal parliament’s mandate expired. Farmaajo said the Federal Parliament’s term officially came to an end on April 14, 2026, under the Provisional Constitution, leaving the country without a newly elected legislature in place. “The end of parliament’s mandate without the formation of a new parliament could create legal and…

Wednesday April 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — With Somalia already navigating deep political strains, the Somali Future Council on Tuesday raised the alarm over delays in the next round of national elections, accusing top government officials of abandoning constitutional deadlines and risking a wider crisis. In a statement, the council said the country’s Provisional Constitution is explicit: the mandates of federal institutions expired on April 14, 2026. Without an election process that follows constitutional requirements, it…

Wednesday April 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s opposition Himilo Qaran party on Tuesday raised alarm over the country’s political and constitutional direction after the federal parliament’s term expired. In a statement, the party said the House of the People’s mandate officially ended on April 14, 2026, in line with Article 60 of the Provisional Constitution, describing the date as a defining test for governance and respect for the rule of law. “Protecting the term limits of government institutions is the most…

Zimbabwe’s human rights watchdog has warned that public hearings on proposed constitutional changes are being undermined by intimidation and the exclusion of critics, with opponents of the bill reportedly singled out. The Zimbabwean Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) noted strong turnout at the sessions and praised Parliament for widely promoting the hearings and inviting written submissions. However, it flagged serious risks to participants’ safety. Commission Chairperson Jessie Majome said that "whilst those in support...…

With a coordinated show of strength, Zanu-PF packed public hearings on a Constitutional Amendment Bill that seeks to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure to 2030. Supporters were ferried from towns such as Beatrice to sessions in Dema and Chitungwiza, where some filed written affidavits endorsing the proposal. The hearings again laid bare the opposition’s disarray, with its leaders struggling to mobilize a counter-presence. Opposition figures, meanwhile, accused the Parliamentary Committee running the hearings of…

Thursday March 19, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Political friction between Baidoa and Mogadishu sharpened Thursday after the opposition-aligned Somali Future Council backed Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen’s decision to freeze relations with the federal government and press ahead with regional elections. In a statement, the council said it welcomed Southwest’s stance but voiced alarm over a deepening national impasse. It argued that disputes over regional leadership, the electoral framework and recent…

Somalia’s latest constitutional amendments are being hailed by some lawmakers as proof that the country has become a “fully fledged state.” The symbolism is powerful. Yet the celebration risks outrunning the substance. The reforms mark real progress, but they do not, on their own, settle the foundational questions of federalism, inclusion and authority that have defined Somalia’s decade-long constitutional journey. Since 2012, Somalia has operated under a provisional constitution designed to accommodate fragile…

Opinion/Analysis: Somalia’s constitutional crossroads — process, not power, will decide the future Somalia’s Constitution is again at the center of national politics. A round of changes presented as a constitutional amendment has triggered sharp objections from federal member states and opposition figures, raising questions about legality, legitimacy and the balance of power in the federation. At stake is not only the letter of the 2012 Provisional Federal Constitution but public confidence in the institutions charged with…