(HAPC) Following:

Opposition officials in several Somali regions, including Puntland and Jubaland , expressed  rejection the parliament’s vote on the Somali constitutional amendments, describing what the amendment included as a circumvention of consensus and constitutional principles in order to remain in power for a longer period, which hinders the political reform process led by Mogadishu .

This comes after a vote by the Somali parliament, Last Wednesday, the constitutional amendments included extending Hassan Sheikh’s presidential term for another year, along with extending the term of parliament .

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud appeared celebrating the parliament’s support for the constitutional amendments during a press conference, saying: “The approval process took a long time .”

Analysts specializing in Somali affairs believe that President Hassan Sheikh has been very careful for months not to show his eagerness to extend his term in office in anticipation of potential criticism from the international community .

It is worth noting that widespread chaos and physical altercations have been taking place within the Somali parliament for a month, as reported by visual media, between supporters and opponents of the constitutional amendments .

While the Somaliland region remains silent, considering that is not concerned with this, observers believe that these constitutional amendments are not encouraging for conducting political settlement talks between Mogadishu and Somaliland, as the Mogadishu government seeks to adopt a dictatorship that is at the heart of the issue that has caused Somaliland to demand independence since the distant past .