Mogadishu (SD) – Somalia’s Union of Candidates held a press conference in Mogadishu reacting to parliament’s decision to extend the president Farmajo’ term by two years.

The Union of Candidates said they recognize the outgoing president, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo as a “faction leader” occupying the Presidential Palace.

The Speaker of the Upper House of the Somali Parliament Abdi Hashi opposed and called illegal the House of Representatives decision to extend the term of government institutions by two years.

“The unilateral decision of the House of parliament will lead to political instability in the country along with security threats and other unpredictable conditions. At the same time, the decision further alienated the country’s electoral process by directly violating the rule of law enshrined in the Constitution and other laws of the land. ” said the speaker.

Jubbaland and Puntland states also reacted to the decision by the House of Representatives to extend the term of the government by two years.

A statement posted on the Jubbaland president’s Twitter account said that today’s move by the outgoing parliament sets Somalia’s state-building efforts back.

Puntland’s interior minister Mohamed Abdirahman Dhabancad also tweeted that Puntland was “deeply saddened” by today’s action, which he also described as “illegal”.

The opposition comes as lawmakers yesterday approved a two-year extension, and reintroduced one person one vote electoral process.