Monday January 9, 2023
Garowe (HOL) - Puntland state President Said Abdullahi Deni accused the federal government of carrying out a plan that appears to return to a centralized federal government.
Said Deni, speaking on Sunday night at a ceremony commemorating his fourth anniversary as regional leader, said that he refused to sign two articles at the most recent National Consultative Council meeting because they were anti-federalist.
He added that the two articles appeared to limit the advice to the federal government.
Deni warned that the current plan to pass the constitution without resolving Somaliland and the Sool region issue would lead to Somaliland's claim on the territory being legitimized.
During the fourth National Consultative Council meeting in Mogadishu last week, four of the five regional state leaders - excluding Puntland - agreed on a national security framework and delineating powers at the federal and state levels with the federal government.
The federal government's immediate goals for 2023 include the following:
- Achieving political stability.
- Completing the constitution and building national institutions.
- Especially the election and constitutional commissions.
Analysts believe the government will need a political agreement with Puntland before completing the constitution.