Saturday September 27, 2025
FILE PHOTO — Members of Somalia’s Federal Parliament attend a plenary session at the House of the People in Mogadishu. Lawmakers are expected to reconvene on September 29, 2025, following a presidential postponement prompted by political tensions and reports of divisions among MPs.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s federal parliament will open its seventh session on Monday, September 29, 2025, as lawmakers gather in Mogadishu to address critical national legislation amid rising political tensions and renewed debate over government performance.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to preside over the ceremony after returning from New York, where he attended the 80th United Nations General Assembly. The session marks a constitutionally mandated event, during which the president delivers an annual address outlining his administration’s progress and policy priorities.
Under Article 90 of Somalia’s Provisional Constitution, the president’s opening speech serves as a national roadmap, summarizing key achievements and highlighting the government’s legislative agenda. Officials say Mohamud will focus on strengthening governance, advancing security operations against Al-Shabaab, and deepening economic reforms through fiscal decentralization.
Somalia’s parliament returns to work under a gathering cloud of political unease.The president’s decision to postpone the parliamentary sitting illustrated fractures within the legislature, with some lawmakers reportedly weighing a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre.
Preparations for the opening are in their final stages, according to parliamentary officials. Both the House of the People and the Upper House have directed all members to return from abroad to ensure quorum. Many lawmakers have been outside the country in recent weeks attending international forums or personal engagements.
Lawmakers are expected to deliberate on bills related to judicial reform, resource sharing, reconciliation, and constitutional amendments.
Sources at Villa Somalia confirmed that President Mohamud will depart the United States within hours and is expected to arrive in Mogadishu ahead of the opening ceremony. Security has been tightened across the capital in anticipation of Monday’s parliamentary opening.