MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) –Somalia’s parliament extended its mandate for one year after it expired last week and provided MPs with new IDs valid until December 2021, as dispute over the composition of the electoral commission delays elections with only 35 days left the term of the incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo.
The parliament’s term expired on 27 September last week and it was raised fears that the legislative body could become illegal.
Somaliguardian had found reports last week that the parliament extended the validity of MPs’ IDs, a day after the legislative body’s term expired.
Parliament speaker Mohamed Mursal had earlier said MPs will continue serving, even if their terms expire, until 11th parliament is sworn in.
Leaked photos circulated online show renewed ID cards of federal MPs, which will be valid until 31 December 2021.
Parliament has secretly extended its term, though there have been no reports of sessions held or votes casted to extend the legislative body’s term for further one year.
It comes as the incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo’s tenure expires within 35 days while efforts to hold elections have yet to gather pace amid heightened dispute over the composition of government-appointed electoral board, which opposition leaders say was stacked with loyalists of the current Somali leader.
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