The democratisation process of Puntland State of Somalia “has stalled”

[Deeq A.]

President Deni has been accused of giving a lukewarm support to the democratisation process in Puntland State.

Garowe (PP News Desk) — In October 2021 Puntland conducted pilot local government elections at three designated districts. The political association, Kaah, led by the incumbent President Said Abdullahi Deni performed well but garnered votes less than the total number of votes of the two political associations that had subsequently formed political partnership. Having considered how the political partnership of two political associations could undercut the legislative influence of Kaah and the electoral system of Puntland should people cast their votes to elect a President in 2024, President Deni have allegedly lost the commitment to seeing through the democratisation process in Puntland State.

His intention to run for Somalia presidency adversely affected the transition to multiparty system in Puntland, his detractors charitably said.

“Withholding TPEC funds”

Puntland State government has the remit to facilitate the democratisation process by liaising with Transitional Puntland Electoral Commission (TPEC). The former TPEC Chairman Guled Salah resigned several months ago, citing obstacles to discharging his duties. In a subsequent Daljir Radio interview Guled accused President Deni of withholding US$ 2 millions of TPEC funds in addition to putting undue pressure on TPEC officials during the pilot local government elections. “The excessive ambition of Puntland President undermines the democratisation process. He wanted that electoral outcomes fit his political goals” said Guled. He alleged that Puntland State government fraudulently decided the selection of eleven federal MPs in Bosaso.

“Puntland democratisation has stalled. President Deni is to blame for the lost momentum because his political ambition to run for Somalia presidency overshadowed and reduced the profile of the democratisation process of Puntland” said a senior member of Mideeye, a political association.

Voters in Eyl casting votes during 2021 pilot local government elections.

The 2013 attempt at institutionalising party politics in Puntland failed partly because of the perception that the incumbent government and its associated political association, Horseed, were using government resources to influence outcomes of district elections. President Deni’s administration has been accused of perfunctorily supporting the democratisation process while single-handedly selecting the majority of Senators and Federal MPs from Puntland, a process that has been described as the most corrupt aspect of the 2022 indirect elections.

“The democratisation process must be revived. President Deni’s mandate will come to an end after eighteen months. Running two elections (local and presidential) in Puntland is cumbersome. Political associations must agree a timeframe for finalising the second, stalled stage of the democratisation process” a former Puntland cabinet Minister told Puntland Post.

In August Puntland will be celebrating the 24th anniversary of the formation of the first semi-autonomous, pro-union and pro-federalism Somali administration in highly self-imposed, decentralised context. Puntland political elites seem to prefer the tradition-bound system of less political accountability to institutionalising political accountability through party politics and lesser dependency on subclan loyalties.

It takes collective willpower and commitment to supporting political transformation in Puntland to break a habit that has been ossifying for almost a quarter century.

© Puntland Post, 2022

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