Federal Parliament of Somalia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Federal Parliament of Somalia Baarlamaanka Federaalka Soomaaliya
11th Somali Parliament
Type
Type	Bicameral
Houses	Upper house (Senate) Lower house (House of the People)
History
Founded	20 August 1956 (1956-08-20)
Preceded by	Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia
Leadership
Speaker of the Senate of Somalia	Abdi Hashi Abdullahi Since 22 January 2017
Speaker of the House of the People of Somalia	Aden Madobe Since 28 April 2022
Seats	275 MPs and 54 senators
Elections
Voting system	Indirect first-past-the-post
Last election	2021–2022
Next election	TBD
Meeting place
Mogadishu, Somalia

The Federal Parliament of Somalia (also known as Baarlamaanka Federaalka Soomaaliya) is the main law-making body of Somalia. It was created in August 2012 and is located in the capital city, Mogadishu. This parliament is bicameral, meaning it has two parts: an upper house called the Senate and a lower house called the House of the People.

Parliament's History

Somalia's first parliament after it became independent was the National Assembly (1960–1969). It was unicameral, meaning it had only one part. Later, the House of the People (1969–2012) took over, but it didn't work during the Somali Civil War. In 2012, the Federal Parliament was set up as a unicameral body. Then, in 2016, it changed to a bicameral system when the Senate of Somalia was created.

How the Parliament Was Created

Steps to a New Government

After a long period of change, Somalia worked towards setting up a stable, democratic government by August 2012. Leaders from the government and other officials met in February 2012 to plan for the future. They discussed how to create new, lasting government groups.

After many talks, the leaders signed an agreement. This agreement said that a new parliament would be formed. It would have two parts: an upper house with 54 senators and a lower house. It was also decided that 30% of the lower house seats would be for women. The president would be chosen by election, and the president would then pick a prime minister and other ministers.

In June, leaders approved a draft of a new constitution. This constitution was then voted on by a group of 645 delegates. A large majority, 96%, voted for it. For the constitution to become official, the new parliament had to approve it.

Choosing New Members

Mohamed Mursal Sheikh Abdurahman, a former Speaker of the Federal Parliament

In August 2012, a list of new parliament members was shared. Many lawmakers were officially sworn in. An independent group called the Technical Selection Committee (TSC) checked all the people who wanted to become parliament members.

Some candidates were not chosen because they did not meet the rules. These rules said that potential members had to be Somali citizens with a good mind. They also needed to have at least a high school diploma. They had to be able to do parliamentary duties. And they could not have any known connections to warlords or armed groups. The TSC also used information from the United Nations and the African Union to help them check the candidates.

First Meeting

The first meeting of the new parliament happened on August 20, 2012. It took place at the Mogadishu airport. This was because the main parliament building was being fixed up. The old President, Prime Minister, and Speaker of Parliament were all there. Most of the new members were sworn in, and a temporary Speaker was chosen.

The 10th Parliament (2016)

The tenth Parliament of Somalia started its work on December 27, 2016.

A UN official, Michael Keating, noted some important changes. The Upper House of Parliament was now in place with 54 members. These members were chosen based on their federal state, not just their clan. Also, more people could vote than before. In 2012, only 135 male elders voted. But in 2016, over 13,000 people voted, and 30% of them were women. Voting happened in six different places across the country.

The term for these parliament members ended on December 27, 2020. Somalia did not have a parliament until the 11th Parliament was sworn in during 2022.

The 11th Parliament (2022)

Members of the 11th Federal Parliament of Somalia were sworn in on April 14, 2022, in Mogadishu. Most of the members from both the House of the People and the Senate took their oaths.

Abdi Hashi Abdullahi was re-elected as the Speaker of the Senate. Two Deputy Speakers were also chosen. Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe was elected as the Speaker of the House of the People. Two Deputy Speakers for the House of the People were also elected the next day.

Speaker of Parliament

The Speaker of Parliament is like the leader of the parliament's meetings. On August 20, 2012, General Muse Hassan Sheikh Sayid Abdulle became the temporary Speaker. Later, on August 28, 2012, Mohamed Osman Jawari was elected as the Speaker. He had been a minister before. Two Deputy Speakers also help the Speaker.

What the Parliament Does

The Federal Parliament of Somalia is the part of the government that makes laws. The Federal Government of Somalia is the part that carries out these laws.

The parliament has several important jobs:

• It elects the President of Somalia.
• It elects the Speaker and Deputy Speakers of the Parliament.
• It has the power to create new laws and to stop laws from being passed.
• It also decides how many autonomous regional states (or Federal Member States) there will be in Somalia and where their borders are.

In April 2014, a special committee in the parliament announced that it would set up a group to help manage the process of federalism in Somalia's regions.

Who Makes Up the Parliament

Parliamentary consultant Hodan Ahmed

The Federal Parliament of Somalia has two parts: the Senate (upper house) and the House of the People (lower house). Many of its members are professionals and university graduates. A special rule says that at least 30% of the seats must be for women. This rule was helped by a Somali consultant named Hodan Ahmed and other women leaders.

The first official list of members of the Federal Parliament was shared on August 17, 2012.

The Senate

The Senate, which is the upper house, was chosen during the parliamentary election in 2016. It has 54 Senators.

The House of the People

The House of the People, which is the lower house, is planned to have 275 members.

Committees

The Federal Parliament has many committees. These groups help the parliament do its work. Some of them include:

• Oversight, Review and Implementation Committee (checks how things are done)
• Rules of Procedure, Ethics, Discipline and Immunity Committee (sets rules for how the parliament works)
• Judiciary, Religious Sites and Religious Affairs Committee (deals with laws and religious matters)
• Internal Affairs, Regional Administration and Security Committee (handles issues inside the country, like security)
• Committee on Budget, Finance, Planning, International Cooperation and Financial Oversight of Public Institutions (manages money and plans)
• Foreign Affairs Committee (deals with other countries)
• Defence Committee (deals with the military and security)
• Human Rights, Women and Humanitarian Affairs Committee (focuses on people's rights and helping those in need)
• Social Services Development Committee (works on improving services like health and education)
• National Resource Committee (manages natural resources)
• Information & Media, Public Awareness, Culture Post and Telecommunication Committee (deals with news, culture, and communication)
• Committee for Roads, Ports, Airports, Energy and Transport (works on infrastructure)
• Committee for Economy, Trade and Industry (focuses on business and jobs)

In March 2015, the government decided to create a new group to help bring all the security forces in the country together.

List of Parliaments

• 1st Somali Parliament (1956–1960)
• 2nd Somali Parliament (1960–1964)
• 3rd Somali Parliament (1964–1968)
• 4th Somali Parliament (1968–1970)
• 5th Somali Parliament (1980–1986)
• 6th Somali Parliament (1986–1990)
• 7th Somali Parliament (2000–2004)
• 8th Somali Parliament (2004–2012)
• 9th Somali Parliament (2012–2016)
• 10th Somali Parliament (2016–2020)
• 11th Somali Parliament (2022–2026)

How Members Are Voted In

The Provisional Constitution of Somalia states that the rules for elections at the national level will be set by special laws made by the House of the People.

Term Length

Members of parliament are expected to serve for a certain period. The term for the 10th Parliament ended on December 27, 2020. The 11th Parliament was sworn in during 2022.

Memberships

The Federal Parliament of Somalia is part of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). This is an international group for parliaments around the world.

See also

• Cabinet of Somalia
• Judiciary of Somalia
• List of speakers of the Parliament of Somalia