MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal parliamentary session, set to begin Saturday in Mogadishu, has been postponed until September 29, officials said.
Speaker Sheikh Adan Madobe informed lawmakers of the delay in a text message, saying it came at the request of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The session, originally scheduled for August 20 and later moved to September 20, has now been delayed for more than a month without official explanation.
Opposition lawmakers condemned the move, accusing the president and speaker of deliberately stalling parliamentary proceedings to avoid oversight and constitutional obligations.
“These actions undermine democracy and show blatant disregard for the Constitution,” the lawmakers said in a statement released this week.
They allege repeated interference from the executive branch has left Parliament paralyzed, echoing problems seen during the 6th session, which ended with little legislative progress.
The lawmakers claim the delays are designed to block scrutiny on corruption, land disputes, misuse of power, and growing threats to Somalia’s federal system.
They urged Somali citizens, political leaders, and international stakeholders to take note of what they described as a coordinated effort to weaken Parliament’s independence.
Neither President Mohamud’s office nor Speaker Madobe has responded to the allegations.