Somalia’s government said it was in a “transition period” after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term ended Friday.
Mohamud has been attempting to move Somalia towards democratic elections, but talks with the opposition on holding elections have not yielded an agreement.
The government “declares that the country has entered a transition period toward an inclusive democratic system based on the principle of universal suffrage,” it said in a statement.
“Over the past three days, the Government has also engaged in discussions with certain opposition figures who presented positions that, according to the Government, contradict the fundamental right of citizens to vote and to stand for election,” it added.
The president argues he was given an extra year in the presidency when a new constitution was passed by parliament in March that set the framework for elections.
But opposition parties boycotted that vote and have rejected the changes.
Previous presidents have also stayed in office beyond their mandates.
The last president, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, stayed more than a year in office after the official end of his mandate in 2021.
