Somalia's Federal Parliament Mandate Expires — Speaker Declares Unilateral One-Year Extension; Farmaajo Warns of Leadership Vacuum

Somalia's 11th Federal Parliament formally expired its four-year constitutional mandate on April 14, 2026, with no elections held or agreed upon. Parliament Speaker Adan Madobe unilaterally announced a one-year extension of parliament's term, citing provisions under the new (contested) constitution to facilitate transition to a 'one-person, one-vote' electoral system. The announcement was immediately condemned by opposition lawmakers, Puntland, and Jubbaland as unconstitutional and illegitimate. Former President Mohamed Abdullahi 'Farmaajo' issued a statement warning Somalia was entering a 'leadership vacuum,' with multiple former prime ministers echoing warnings of a 'constitutional vacuum.' Several lawmakers reportedly contemplated resignation in protest. The Federal Government briefed foreign ambassadors in Mogadishu about the one-year extension rationale, but international partners — including the UN, AU, and EU — remained silent on endorsement. The mandate expiry was the climax of the constitutional crisis triggered by the FGS's contested March 2026 constitutional amendments, which extended parliamentary terms from four to five years in a disputed vote lacking the required quorum. Constitutional scholars from the ConstitutionNet noted that Article 60 and Article 91 of Somalia's Provisional Constitution provide no clear authority for a unilateral parliamentary self-extension beyond the four-year term. With the presidential mandate also due to expire May 15, 2026, Somalia faces cascading constitutional deadlines without an agreed electoral road map.