The Somali Parliament agreed to introduce universal direct suffrage and shift to a presidential form of government.
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Speaker of the lower house of parliament Sheikh Adan Mohamed Noor announced that lawmakers in both houses unanimously approved changes to the constitution's chapters.
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As anticipated, the change will take effect during the upcoming regional elections on June 30.
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Universal direct suffrage was removed after Siad Barre took power in 1969. Since his overthrow in 1991, Somalia's political system has been influenced by clans.
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The current constitution was adopted in 2012, and the process of reviewing and amending it started two years later. So far, four chapters have been amended, and 11 more are yet to be introduced before a referendum is held.
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In the next presidential elections set for May 2026, the vice president will replace the prime minister. Local elections will form the basis for national elections, which will be conducted using a "closed list proportional system" involving only two parties."closed list proportional system""" and will involve only two parties.
