Thursday April 29, 2021
FILE PHOTO - Puntland Information Minister, Abdullahi Ali Hersi 'Timadde'
Mogadishu (HOL) - Puntland's Information Minister Abdullahi Ali Hersi Timaadde said that his regional government would not attend an electoral conference convened by President Farmajo unless external mediators are directly involved.
Speaking to the BBC, Timaadde said stakeholders could no longer trust the President to implement the September 17 agreement. He added that Farmajo already proved that he intended to secure an extension by any means necessary without contemplating the consequences.
"If you can't figure out someone in an hour, you'll never figure him out in a day. We (Puntland) know Farmajo very well."
Timadde added that President Farmajo did not have the legal mandate to conduct an election conference and asked the international community to bring together Somalia's political leaders and facilitate the talks.
Following the Farmajo administration mandate's expire in February, the Puntland government said they do not recognize President Farmajo.
"We are not going to a conference with Farmajo..." its President Said Abdulahi Deni said in a televised speech.
The regional information minister said that Farmajo's speech early Wednesday morning was intentionally cryptic.
"During his speech, the President did not acknowledge the consequences of his actions, the splits in the security sector. He didn't even order the troops back to barracks."
Timaadde said he believes Farmajo wants the ongoing electoral crisis to continue.
When asked if Puntland's position could come off as a spoiler tactic, Timadde said the federal government is constitutionally illegal.
"Our issue with the Federal Government of Somalia has always been a question of legality. We want to follow the rule of law. The federal government is operating outside of their legally mandated time frame."
The federal government has blamed Puntland and Jubbaland for the collapse of previous electoral talks in Mogadishu.