Thursday December 7, 2023
Garowe (HOL) - Puntland Regional State Parliament has voted to extend its term by one year on Thursday, following the Wednesday decision from the SSC-Khatumo traditional committee regarding the election dispute.
The SSC-Khatumo traditional committee, working to resolve the election dispute, proposed that current parliament members would elect the president and vice president. Subsequently, they would plan for a new parliamentary election, using the one-person, one-vote election model, twelve months later.
The regional parliament endorsed the decision of the traditional elders, asserting that the annex issued by the president is outdated. Therefore, they took charge of the decision on electoral issues.
The Speaker of Parliament, Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril, announced that he would appoint the committee to elect the president and vice president in the next few hours.
Last night, President Said Deni announced that the regional state will revert to an indirect election model, a proposition advocated by the opposition in recent weeks. President Said Deni expressed that, considering the prevailing circumstances, he opted to return to the indirect election process, wherein clan leaders choose regional parliament members.
Last month, the Puntland Electoral Commission unveiled the schedule for a one-person, one-vote election—a plan strongly supported by President Said Deni. However, the opposition rejected it, describing it as a ploy by President Deni to extend his term. They argued that conducting a one-person, one-vote election within a few months is not feasible.