Somalia’s top court rejects term extensions, orders elections

Somalia’s Supreme Court ruled that constitutional amendments extending presidential and parliamentary terms do not apply to current officeholders, saying their terms have expired and setting a 90-day deadline for elections. The judgment deepens a dispute over President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s tenure and the country’s election rules. The court gave political leaders 30 days to agree on an electoral framework. It also said the government should be limited to routine administration pending a vote. The court did not name a replacement president. The judgment, issued Thursday, November 5, followed a legal challenge by former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. The amendments, approved by parliament in March, lengthened presidential and parliamentary terms from four years to five. Mohamud’s government argued the changes allowed him to remain in office for an additional year and prepare for nationwide elections. The court said the amendments could not be applied to current officeholders. The president’s term expired in May, while parliament’s mandate ended in April, according to the ruling as reported by the court’s account. The dispute also involves how elections should be conducted....