International Community witnesses electoral pact in Puntland after Turkish mediated talks ended polls stalemate

Representatives of the international community today converge in Garowe, the administrative capital of Puntland for the historic signing of the memorandum with Puntland on the 4.5 electoral option ending months of push and pull between the Federal Government and Puntland.

The representatives led by the UN Special Envoy, Michael Keating and including US, Turkish, EU, Britain, Italy, regional body IGAD among others will witness Puntland’s ascension to the 4.5 electoral option for the Lower House in the August polls.

Goobjoog News has learnt former Turkish ambassador and current AK party MP in Turkey, Kani Torun was invited by Puntland leader Abdiweli Gaas to broker the talks which ultimately ended months of negotiations and more importantly set the record straight for the August polls.

His one day meeting with Puntland leader Abdiweli Gaas culminated into a deal paving way for the August polls whose fate had been in the balance following disagreements over the electoral option.

UN Security Council

The disagreement over the electoral model had led to speculations of a possible term extension of the current administration beyond the August 2016 deadline. The UN Security Council has reiterated it is not bending its position on end of term for the Hassan Sheikh administration but the electoral model deadlock had lent credence to a possibility.

Impeccable sources on the on goings have told Goobjoog News Villa Somalia is impressed by Torun’s intervention since time was running out and no deal was on sight. “The presidency thanked Torun for his efforts which ended the stalemate and now sets the country for the August elections,” said a source privy to the developments.

The president and heads of the regional administrations will not attend the signing ceremony in Garowe today but will instead gather in Mogadishu for the National Leadership Forum on April 10 upon which a common front will be presented. Parliament, which resumes Tuesday after a three weeks break will be seized of the matter on April 15 in which case they will review proceedings from the Leadership Forum and adopt in readiness for the polls.

Goobjoog News has also learnt the UN Security Council is expected to bless the agreement on April 19 marking the end of a long drawn battle that has seen interventions at local and international levels.

Electoral procedures

It also emerged a final draft is in the works regarding the nitty-gritty of elections. Several options over the number of delegates to selected members of the Lower House had been fronted ranging from 15, 30 to 50 delegates per member of parliament in proportion to the number of seats for each sub-clan.

But agreement has built up on 50 meaning that a total of 13,750 delegates will participate in the election of members of the Lower House, ensuring the enhanced legitimacy as contemplated by the National Leadership Forum in September. The 50 delegates form an electoral college but this figure will not be uniform since some sub-clans will get more seats that others meaning that if clan X is allotted three seats, then it will have an electoral college of 150.

The election of members of the Upper House will take place in July, a month before election of the Lower House and subsequently the president.