Puntland to resume Lower house election today

The elections of Lower House in the semi-autonomous regional state of Puntland are expected to resume on Tuesday.

The state-level Indirect Electoral Implementation team (SIEIT) has earlier announced the resumption of election this week.

The sentiment came days after Puntland Vice President, Abdihakim Amey, suspended the elections over dispute for seats for clans hailing from Sool, east Sanag and Bohodle regions in the Upper House elections for Somaliland community.

22 of 37 seats in the upcoming Lower House chamber of Federal Parliament allocated for Puntland state have been so far since the beginning of the ballots in Puntland region.

Puntland, which forms the very tip of the Horn of Africa along the Indian Ocean coast and the Gulf of Aden, recognises the central government in Mogadishu, but wants autonomy within a federation of states.

Two other regional states, Jubbaland, South-West State have already concluded the elections of the Lower House as  HirShabelle Galmudug states are about to conclude soon.

The electoral process will see a total of 275 members elected to the Lower House.

Both the Lower and Upper Houses of parliament will elect Somalia’s next president in polls due at the end of November.