Turmoil in Puntland: What are the contentions?

GOOBJOOG NEWS| GAROWE: The row over presidential elections in Puntland has been raging for over a year now, hitting the crescendo in June this year when over 30 people were killed in Garowe as tensions boiled over following a decision by the state parliament to amend the constitution to allow one-person-one vote elections.

The opposition has variously accused outgoing President Abdullahi Deni of using the constitutional changes to extend his stay in office. Deni came to office in January 2019, and his term was set to lapse by January 2024, marking the end of the five-year term. The opposition has argued that there was not sufficient time to prepare for one-person, one-vote elections given the logistical considerations as it was the first time.

However, recent pronouncements by Deni, the electoral commission, and the powerful clan elders have created another state of uncertainty. The Puntland Electoral Commission (PEC) issued a schedule on October 24, 2023 which indicated that presidential and parliamentary elections would take place on the same day February 25, 2025. The electoral body noted that the elections will be based on a one-person-one-vote basis.

CONTEST OVER DATES AND FORMULA

The PEC reiterated that position in a statement on October 31 noting that the state constitution bestowed upon it the exclusive mandate and right to set election dates. The poll body also urged political parties to prepare for the exercise.

In a sharp rejoinder, the clan elders umbrella, which has been known to wield political influence in Puntland, said on November 1 that it did not agree with the PEC and called for elections to be held on January 8, 2024, when Deni’s term ends. This, the elders said, will be based on the existing indirect vote formula where the 66 state MPs elect the president.

In effect, the Isims (clan elders association) rubbished PEC’s position on the electoral formula. In a similar suit, the opposition umbrella welcomed the decision of the clan elders. The military special forces unit, Danab too issued a statement on November 2 endorsing the clan elder’s position and noting that delayed elections could lead to instability in the state.

That now leaves President Deni and PEC on one side and the clan elders, opposition and a section of the military on the other.