Electoral postmortem by a Puntland Minister poses reputation risk for President Deni

[Deeq A.]

President Deni managed to renegotiate key articles in the electoral model without declaring his intentions to replace President Farmaajo.

Boosaaso (Commentary) — More than six weeks after Somalia elected a President an electoral postmortem by Puntland Minister for Water Aarshe Mohamed Said Aw Musse gives clues as to the depth disappointment of Puntland StatePresident Said Abdullahi Deni after having his hope to become President of Somalia dashed at indirect elections ballot box.

Aarshe said that Puntland election team did their best, but “we were betrayed by people whom we relied upon for votes”.

“Puntland State is no longer interested in state-building initiatives. Our goal was to speed up the regime change in Mogadishu” Aarshe told a group of impressionable young men and women in Qardho.

He said that much depended on how Jubaland State President acts now that the “Prime Minister hails from Jubaland.”

Aarshe claimed that Puntland State had withdrawn from state-building initiatives in Somalia.

President Deni had a better chance to become a President of Somalia. He surprised his alliance of regime change enthusiasts by declaring his candidacy after securing remarkable concessions from Mohamed Hussein Roble, the former Prime Minister, to revise key articles in the electoral model.

Revised articles gave Federal Member States’ Parliaments the privilege to select Senators and oversee the selection of MPs.

Neither President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed nor President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had the powers to influence the electoral process that Deni should have given Deni better results on 15 May 2022.

Puntland consoled itself that Hamza Barre, the Prime Minister, owes his prime ministership to its ally, Puntland State. It is not the right time to withdraw from state-building efforts. Puntland State Constitution is the main legal document that can prevent misuse of federal powers domestically or internationally. Puntland under President Abdirahman Farole opposed the plot to steal Somalia assets as far back as 2013. In 2020 the American lawyer appointed to trace to recover Somalia assets was indicted in the United States. Puntland vigilance has been vindicated. President Deni should distance himself from the remarks of the Minister of Water who claimed to have been vote counter of Deni’s.

A video clip on the electoral postmortem by Aarshe.

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