By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia

The Somalian presidential election, which has been delayed for the fourth time, will take place on Dec. 28, the country's leaders announced Friday.

The announcement came after two days of talks in the capital Mogadishu between leaders from Somalia's federal states, including Puntland and Galmudug.

“The newly elected Somali parliament will elect Somalia's next president on Wednesday Dec. 28. The speaker of the parliament will be elected on Dec. 22,” read a joint statement released by the national leadership on Friday.

The country is currently electing 275 MPs to the lower house and 54 to the upper house. They will elect the next president.

Electoral body chairman Omar Abdulle said 208 out of the 275 MPs had already been elected, with the representatives from breakaway Somaliland still remaining.

The coalition of the opposition parties condemned the decision from the national leadership.

Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, former Somali minister and current presidential candidate, told Anadolu Agency over the phone that the decision was disappointing.

“We are very disappointed with this new decision and it is irresponsible to postpone the election again and again, I don’t even believe that the presidential election will take place on Dec. 28,” Warsame said.

“It is likely to be held in January or February next year,” he added.

More than 14,000 delegates, designated by clan elders, vote for the lawmakers. The seats in the lower house have been distributed according to clan. Those in the upper house were allocated by region.