Hommam Al Nassim 
Somalia’s parliament has approved amendments to the constitution that include a transition to a presidential system of government instead of a parliamentary one.
Parliament adopted a system of direct universal suffrage with 254 votes.
According to the amendments, the presidential term was increased from four to five years and gives the president the right to appoint and remove the prime minister.
The Speaker of Parliament, Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe, declared the amendment a milestone in the country’s history, stressing his commitment to review the remaining constitutional amendments to end the 2012 interim constitution.
The amendments also limited the number of political parties to only three, instead of the previous tribal system, and appointed 18 members to the Federal Election Commission.
The amendments faced opposition from former presidents and political figures, who saw them as expanding President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud’s powers, opening the door to his re-election.