Written by Lawyer Muse Yusuf Maxamed
Member of somaliland lawyer’s association SOLLA
30 April 2026
A term extension is a legal decision to maintain elected officials in office beyond the expiration of their original mandate, in order to avoid a constitutional vacuum until a new election can be held.
In Somaliland, a lawful extension of term is carried out in accordance with Article 42(3) and Article 83(5) of the Constitution of the Republic of Somaliland, which state as follows:
Article 42: Period of Office and Election Term
- If the election of the House of Representatives cannot be conducted because of dire circumstances, the outgoing House shall continue in office until the end of these circumstances and a new House is elected. Dire circumstances are: a wide war, internal instability, serious natural disasters, such as earthquakes, epidemic diseases, (and) serious famines; and shall be determined and resolved by the House of Elders on the proposal of the Council of Government.
Article 83: Election Procedures
- If on the expiry of the term of office of the President and the Vice-President, it is not possible, because of security considerations, to hold the election of the President and the Vice-President, the House of Elders shall extend their term of office whilst taking into consideration the period in which the problems can be overcome and the election can be held.
There is also a provision known as Article 19, which has become the mechanism for the excessive term extensions of the Somaliland House of Elders.
This provision originates from the law governing the indirect election of the House of Elders, which was not approved in its entirety. Instead, only Article 19 was extracted and specifically approved by the Somaliland House of Representatives in March 2003
It provides that The election of the House of Elders shall always take place one year after the elections of the House of Representatives and the Presidency.
.
On the other hand, the Local Councils of Somaliland have been granted term extensions on several occasions, despite the absence of a law that clearly regulates such extensions. In 2007, when a term extension was first required, the authority to grant it was informally, and without a clear legal basis, delegated to the House of Elders (Guurti). Since that time, the same approach has consistently been used to extend the terms of the Local Councils.
We will go through, one by one, the days of the term extensions of the parliamentary, local council, and presidential institutions:
FIRST TERM EXTENSION
19 APRIL 1994
Owing to the civil war that was ongoing in the country, both Houses of Parliament extended the term of the President and the National Charter by one and a half years (18 months), from 16 May 1995 to 16 November 1996. Likewise, Parliament extended its own term for the same period. Accordingly, this became the first term extension carried out since Somaliland regained its independence. It was the first ever term extension to take place in Somaliland, and the only one that was made for a justified reason.
During that period, the nation was governed under a National Charter that contained no provisions regarding the extension of the term of office. Consequently, the matter was referred to the bicameral Parliament of the time. Following a joint session, they resolved to implement the necessary term extension themselves
SECOND TERM EXTENSION
During the period when President Egal was engaged in the effort to transition the country toward a multi-party system, his constitutional term of office came to an end. Consequently, he submitted a request for a term extension to the House of Elders, in accordance with Article 83 of the Constitution
12 JANUARY 2002 The House of Elders of Somaliland granted a one-year term extension to President Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal and his Vice President, starting on 23 February 2002 and ending on 23 February 2003. This became the first extension made after the new Constitution came into effect.
THIRD TERM EXTENSION
On 05 March 2002, the President of the Republic of Somaliland, Mr. Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal, submitted a letter to the Somaliland House of Elders informing them that the term of the House of Representatives had come to an end.
27 APRIL. 2002. The House of Elders of Somaliland granted a one-year extension to the House of Representatives, beginning on 25 May 2002 and ending on 25 May 2003, in accordance with Article 42(3) of the Constitution. This marked the First time the House of Representatives received a term extension since the Constitution came into force, and it was also the Second overall term extension granted to the House of Representatives of Somaliland.
FOURTH TERM EXTENSIONS
President Rayaale, who intended to hold one-person-one-vote elections, submitted a request for a term extension to the House of Elders. The Somaliland House of Elders thus carried out the fourth term extension in the country.
18 JANUARY 2003
The House of Elders of Somaliland extended the term of the President and Vice President by 81 days, starting from 23 February 2003 and ending on 15 May 2003. This was the Third presidential term extension in Somaliland.
FIFTH TERM EXTENSIONS
03 MARCH 2003 The House of Elders of Somaliland granted the House of Representatives a two-year term extension, running from 25 May 2003 to 25 May 2005. This marked the Third term extension granted to the House of Representatives.
SIXTH TERM EXTENSIONS
28 MAY 2005 The House of Elders of Somaliland granted the House of Representatives a 143-day term extension, running from 25 May 2005 to 15 October 2005. At the same time, the House of Elders itself received a term extension of one year and 143 days, which was set to end on 31 October 2006.
This marked the Fourth term extension received by the House of Representatives and the Second term extension received by the House of Elders.
SEVENTH TERM EXTENSIONS
22 APRIL 2006 President Rayaale submitted a written request to the Constitutional Court of Somaliland seeking a legal advisory opinion on whether the House of Elders (Guurti) could extend its own term of office.
On 24 APRIL, the Court ruled that the House of Elders has the right to extend its own term of office, reasoning that the Constitution permits term extensions for other national institutions such as the President and the House of Representatives and therefore the House of Elders also possesses an equivalent authority to extend its own tenure.
06 MAY 2006 The Somaliland House of Elders granted itself a four-year term extension, running from 31 October 2006 to 31 October 2010.
This became the Third term extension received by the House of Elders.
EIGHTH TERM EXTENSION
12 DECEMBER 2007 The House of Elders of Somaliland granted the local councils a six-month term extension, which started on 26 December 2007 and ended on 1 July 2008. It was the First term extension granted to the local councils.
There was no law stating how the terms of the councils could be extended or which authority had the power to extend them. However, the House of Elders assumed that authority. This extension did not cause political conflict, as the political parties and the government had already agreed to prioritize the holding of the presidential election.
NINTH EIGHTH TERM EXTENSION
10 APRIL 2008 The Somaliland House of Elders extended the term of office of the President and Vice President by one year, from 15 May 2008 to 16 May 2009. This became the Fourth term extension related to the Somaliland presidential electoral cycle.
TENTH TERM EXTENSION
28 MARCH 2009 The House of Elders of Somaliland extended the term of President Dahir Rayaale and his vice president by five months and thirteen days, effective from 16 May to 29 October 2009. The Elders also proposed that the presidential election be held on 29 September 2009.
This became the Fifth term extension related to the Somaliland presidential electoral cycle.
ELEVENTH TERM EXTENSION
25 SEPTEMBER 2009 Friday is a day of worship and a public holiday for the people of Somaliland and Muslims, but the Somaliland House of Elders held an unprecedented session. On the morning of Friday, 25 September, after 77 members of the House of Elders gathered in the chamber, they extended President Rayaale’s term without specifying an end date, which led to violent protests in Hargeisa.
This became the Sixth term extension related to the Somaliland presidential electoral cycle.
TWELFTH TERM EXTENSION
07 SEPTEMBER 2010 The House of Elders of Somaliland extended the term of the House of Representatives by two years and eight months, from 29/10/2010 to 29/6/2013. They also granted a one-and-a-half-year extension to the local councils, from 7 October 2010 to 7/4/2012. Furthermore, the House of Elders themselves automatically received a term extension of three years and eight months, ending on 29 June 2014.
It became the first term extension granted to the directly elected House of Representatives, and also the Fifth term extension overall given to the House of Representatives.
It was also the Fourth term extension of the House of Elders, and the second term extension of the Local Councils.
THIRTEENTH TERM EXTENSION
8 April 2013 The President of the Republic of Somaliland, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud “Silanyo”, submitted a letter to the House of Elders of Somaliland informing them that both Houses of Parliament required a term extension, as they had fallen behind the scheduled timetable.
The House of Elders then deliberated on the matter and granted the requested term extension.
15 APRIL 2013 The House of Elders of Somaliland granted a term extension to the House of Representatives of two years, one month, and 27 days, starting from 29 June 2013 and ending on 25 August 2015. The House of Elders also recommended that the election of the House of Representatives be held in June 2015. Likewise, the House of Elders extended its own term by three years, one month, and 27 days, ending on 25 August 2016
It became the Sixth term extension granted to the House of Representatives, and also the Fifth term extension of the House of Elders.
FOURTEENTH TERM EXTENSION
11 MAY 2015 The House of Elders of Somaliland extended the term of the President, the Vice President, and the House of Representatives of Somaliland by 1-year and 9-months, from 28 July 2015 to 27 April 2017. Similarly, the House of Elders itself received a 2-year and 9-month extension, setting its new term end date as 27 April 2018.
It became the first term extension granted to President Silanyo, and also the Seventh term extension related to the presidential electoral cycle. It was also the Eighth term extension granted to the House of Representatives, and the fifth term extension of the House of Elders.
FIFTEENTH TERM EXTENSION
06 MARCH 2017 The House of Elders of Somaliland granted a seven-and-a-half-month extension to the President and his Vice President, starting from 27 April and ending on 13 December 2017. Similarly, the House of Elders extended the term of the House of Representatives and the local councils by two years, from 27 April 2017 to 27 April 2019. Meanwhile, the House of Elders of Somaliland itself received a three-year extension, ending on 27 April 2020 also the Eighth term extension related to the presidential electoral cycle and It was also the Seventh term extension granted to the House of Representatives, and the Sixth term extension of the House of Elders.
SIXTEENTH TERM EXTENSION
21 JANUARY 2019 The House of Elders of Somaliland extended the term of the House of Representatives by nine months, from 27 April 2019 to 27 January 2020.
Similarly, the House of Elders itself received an extension of one year and nine months, ending on 27 January 2021. The House of Elders also proposed that the elections for the House of Representatives be held in December 2019.
It became the Eighth term extension granted to the House of Representatives, and also the Seventh term extension of the House of Elders of Somaliland.
SEVENTEENTH TERM EXTENSION
24 NOVEMBER 2019 The House of Elders extended the term of the House of Representatives by two years, from 27 January 2020 to 27 January 2022. Similarly, the House of Elders itself was granted a three-year extension, ending on 27 January 2023.
It became the Ninth term extension granted to the House of Representatives, and also the eighth term extension of the House of Elders of Somaliland.
In mid JANUARY, the President of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, submitted a letter to the House of Elders requesting a reduction of the previously granted term extension of the House of Representatives.
01 February 2021, the House of Elders of Somaliland appointed a 31-member committee to review a request from the President, the National Electoral Commission, and political parties. The request concerned aligning the previously extended term of the House of Representatives with the election timetable set by the National Electoral Commission for the House of Representatives and Local Councils. On the following day, 02 February, the House of Elders held a session in which it decided to shorten the previously granted term extension of the House of Representatives, setting it to expire on 30 June 2021.
EIGHTEENTH TERM EXTENSION
01 OCTOBER 2022 The House of Elders of Somaliland, for the First time, granted a two-year term extension to President Muse Bihi Abdi and his Vice President, running from 13 November 2022 to 13 November 2024. Similarly, the House of Elders itself was granted a four-year term extension, running from 27 January 2023 to 27 January 2027. This became the Ninth term extension related to the presidential electoral cycle, and also the Ninth term extension of the House of Elders.
NINETEENTH TERM EXTENSION
31 January 2026 The National Electoral Commission of Somaliland announced that the elections for the Local Councils and the House of Representatives, scheduled for 31 May 2026, would not be held on time.
Due to drought, conflicts, and challenges related to voter registration, the Commission proposed a ten-month extension, running from 31 May 2026 to 31 March 2027.
18 APRIL 2026 The President of the Republic of Somaliland, Mr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Irro,” submitted a letter with reference number JSL/XM/GG/081/2-257/042026 to the House of Elders of Somaliland. The letter contained a proposal for a term extension for the House of Representatives and the local councils. This follows the recommendation of the National Electoral Commission issued on January 31, which stated that elections could not be held on their originally scheduled date of May 31, 2026, and that an additional 10 months would be required to complete the electoral process. 20 APRIL The House of Elders of Somaliland appointed a committee of 25 members, consisting of 21 members, the THREE members of the House leadership, and the Secretary-General of the House of Elders. The committee was tasked with providing recommendations on the extension of the terms of the House of Representatives and the Local Councils of Somaliland. On 22 and 23 April, the committee met with the national political parties and the Somaliland National Electoral Commission.
28 APRIL 2026 The House of Elders of Somaliland granted the House of Representatives and the local councils a two-year and three-month term extension, running from 7 July 2026 to 7 October 2028.
Similarly, the House of Elders itself received a three-year and three-month term extension, ending on 7 October 2029. This became the First term extension received by the current House of Representatives, and the Tenth term extension overall granted to the House of Representatives and the House of Elders.
These are two situations that are less than formal term extensions
07 APRIL 2012
The previous extension granted to Somaliland’s local councils had expired, and no further extension was provided. As a result, they continued to remain in office for 235 days until the local council elections were held on 28 November 2012, without having any legal mandate.
2 APRIL 2019
The previous term extension of Somaliland’s local councils had expired, and no further extension was granted. They continued to serve in office for two years, one month, and a half until the newly elected local councils, chosen on 31 May 2021, took over their duties. This was the second time such a situation had occurred.
