GAROWE, Somalia – Abdulkadir Mohamed Muumin, a politician from Puntland, recently spoke about the administration’s current crisis in an interview with Radio Shabelle in Mogadishu.
According to Muumin, it is constitutionally necessary to hold the election on time to avoid delays that could cause political instability as the SSC has announced that it will not enroll the 17 MPs it previously had in the House of Representatives.
Muumin pointed out that there is a need to reach a solution and then distribute the 17 or the remaining 49 to elect the new president of Puntland.
This statement comes after Puntland SSC recently announced that they will not be part of the parliamentary and presidential elections, as they have established an independent administration after the war with Somaliland.
The declaration of independence comes amid rising tensions and threatens to further destabilize the Horn of Africa, which is currently at war with Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked group.
In a press conference, the interim leader of Khatumo, Abdikhadir Ahmed Firdhiye, announced that his people were ready to break away from Puntland and establish their independent state.
The reason behind the Declaration of Independence is not entirely clear. However, the Puntland Minister of Information, Eng. Mohamud Aideed Dirir, dismissed the appointment of a new Khatumo leadership by elders of the Sool Sanaag and Cayn, adding similar efforts failed before.
The newly established Puntland Electoral Commission (PEC) has also been cited as an example of how the president intends to undermine his term limit in office and manipulate the outcome of the election.
