The recent constitutional amendments in Somalia, ratified by the Federal Parliament on March 4, 2026, represent one of the most contentious pivots in the nation’s modern political history. While the federal administration frames these changes as a bold leap toward a more stable and democratic “one-person, one-vote” system, the reality on the ground suggests a profound disconnect between legislative ambition and political feasibility. The amendments fundamentally shift the state from a parliamentary to a presidential system, extend political mandates to five years, and centralize authority. This is viewed by most not as a reform, but as a political manipulation for the current administration to stay longer, despite its massive failures and as a catalyst for potential fragmentation.

The primary reason these changes are considered unworkable in the total absence of a broad political consensus in the country. The fragile federation imposed on the country from foreign capitals, has not worked for a homogenous nation such as Somalia presents. It is benefitting more parochial interests and elites serving foreign parties. The federal government’s ability to govern beyond the capital of Mogadishu is limited rendering the new constitutional framework a “paper reality” that cannot be enforced in the territories, where it is needed most.

Reports of a lack of parliamentary quorum and the absence of meaningful public consultation suggest that the amendments were pushed through with a haste that precludes democratic integrity. It is argued that shifting to a presidential system in such a vacuum is an attempt to concentrate power in the executive branch, effectively rendering the parliament a non-functional powerless house used by the presidency in whatever way it wishes. By........

© Eurasia Review