A Timely Political Transformation in Puntland State of Somalia

[Deeq A.]

Puntland MPs voting on the constitutional amendment earlier today.

Garowe (PP Editorial) — The amendments made to the Constitution of Puntland today has ended the political deadlock over the transformation of a political system based on MPs selected by traditional leaders into a system based on competitive political parties. There was no a way Puntland Parliament could circumvent the decisive verdict delivered in local government elections held on 25 May 2023.

Puntland voters voted for political associations that will become political parties and remain so for five years. The duration is short and entails electoral costs to contest for a party status again, but is nevertheless necessary to prevent the political classes from taking the electorate for granted. Puntland political stakeholders are commendable for making the political space conducive to wider participation: any political organisation that won 5% of local government seats will have become a political party. In this respect, we recommend that, out of trust building exercise, President Deni look into giving up the three members he is manaded to appoint to join the soon to be formed electoral commission.

The threshold for forming a majority government should be made higher, 60% for example, to allow for coalition governments to emerge. Puntland political system, tradition-bound though it has been, has never metamorphosed into a broad-based clique that conducts periodic elections devoid of political accountability. An independent judiciary and audit regime are among the pillars of the new political system that saw the the light of the day six days before Puntland State of Somalia will celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary.

Amendments made to Puntland Constitution mandate popular representation through political parties as opposed to traditional leaders.

Decentralisation — both budgetary and political— is a key component of the the political transformation. Districts will manage their budgets. The local government law that grant the Interior Minister powers to dissolve district councils will have to revised to reflect the political representation based on elected MPs and district councillors.

President Said Abdullahi Deni, Vice President Ahmed Elmi and Puntland Parliamentary Speaker Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril have shown single-mindedness of purpose to ensure a peaceful transformation of a moribund and heavily centralised political system that paid lip service to the federal system. Puntland Founding Fathers and Mothers deserve a credit for crafting a constitution based the rights of the Somali citizen to vote regardless of his/her clan identity. Several newly electdistrict councillors belong to the internally displaced people, although the phrase implies a disingenuous use of a label that can apply to more that 50% of Puntland population who migrated to Mudug, Nugaal, Bari, Sool and Sanaag due to civil war and forced displacement.

Any political aspirant in Puntland will have to prove his/ mettle at the district level. Voters will elect a President and Vice President. Candidates’ ideologies and political programmes will be scrutinised. Political associations that supported the transformation half-heartedly to the point of attempting to block the constitutional amendments risk poor performance at the polls. Puntland State of Somalia has set an example about a gradual, timely political transformation.

© Puntland Post, 2023

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