In a bid to appease his detractors, Somali president Mohamed Abdallah Mohamed has backed down on his bid to secure a controversial two-year extension of his presidency, APA can report on Wednesday.
In an address to the nation on Tuesday evening, President Abdullahi nicknamed Farmajo said he was no longer seeking an extension of his term which ended last February.
Parliamentary approval to prolong his stay in power by an extra two years was met with opposition from his political detractors who accused him of staging an “unconstitutional coup”.
There has been tension which led to fighting in the capital Mogadishu between his backers in the Somali army and a renegade military brigade backing the opposition.
Tens of thousands of Mogadishu residents have been fleeing the city since the fighting began on Sunday.
Appalled by the violence President Abdullahi went on state television to say he would call for fresh elections at a date to be announced later.
However, a section of the opposition said they will stick to their guns given that Farmajo’s promise “is for now just a promise and does not amount to anything tangible to hold onto”.
The president of Somalia is chosen by a parliamentary majority after MPs are elected by elders in a clan-based election system.
The distribution of power to Somalia’s many regions and deep-rooted disagreements over the composition of its electoral commission have been stumbling blocks to the holding of elections scheduled for earlier this year.
WN/as/APA