Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni Has Been Re-Elected
Puntland, an oil-rich, semi-autonomous region in Eastern Somalia is scheduled to hold a presidential polls on 8th January to elect a new leader.
Somalia's semi-autonomous state of Puntland has rolled back plans to hold next year's parliamentary polls Via a one-person, One-vote system, opting to pursue with a complex, clan-based ballot.
Prominent opposition politicians accused Puntland state president Said Abdullahi Deni of manipulating the entire election procedures and seeking to amend the constitution to grant him a greenlight to extend his mandate which is due to end in January.
The outgoing leader Deni, said that parliamentary elections would be held on January 8,with clan representatives selecting 66 MPs I am utterly saddened to make this upsetting decision for the future of Puntland, Deni Said without elaborating on the reasons for the reversal.
On 8, January, 2024 In Garowe, a closely contested election was held on Monday, the Puntland parliament in Garowe re-elected Said Abdullahi Deni as the president of Puntland state of Somalia.
Deni secured 35 votes in the first round and 40 votes in the second and 45 votes out of 66 cast in the third round, while his main rival Guled Saleh, the former electoral committee chairperson garnered 21 votes. Deni should no longer be considered as a lameduck president because now, he is the legitimate and democratically elected leader.
Election featured a competitive field of 11 candidates vying for the top position in the regional government, the regional lawmakers representing various clans were chosen by clan elders.
Deni has been in the office as the president of Puntland since 2019, hailing from Osman Mohamoud Sub-clan of large and dominant Harti Majeerteen, born in Mogadishu in 1967,Deni previously served as the minister of planning in Somalia, Puntland was established in 1998, and has been at the forefront of Somalia's federal system.
However, since 2002,its relations with Mogadishu have exacerbated despite being an ally of former president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud following his victory in the election, president Deni declared the beginning of a new chapter in Puntland politics, ushering a potential shift and development in the regional landscape.
Villa Somalia, the seat of the federal government of Somalia led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in the Capital Mogadishu, sent a congratulatory message to president Deni for emerging victorious after gruelling process of election. Puntland is the oldest federal member state that was established On August, 1, 1998.
As a political pundit, I briefly retrospect the Puntland elections over the course of Puntland's 25-years long administrative existence, a significant transformation took place through a series of noteworthy electoral events, the initial phase, spanning from 1998 to 2008, marked a period characterized by historic elections.
This epoch was specifically crucial as the State was recovering from the aftermath and the scourge of the perpetual and fratricidal conflict.
Within, this time-frame, two significant elections took place, each contributing to the State's democratic process, the first election was between Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed a military veteran, a founding father and Jama Ali Jama, despite the backdrop of tensions And brief armed confrontations, the election concluded peacefully and amicably saving the regional state to plunge into major and devastating conflict.
In the second parliamentary-based election contested by Adde Muse boqor and Mohamed Abdi Hashi, Boqor, secured the seat with a narrow margin of five votes, in later elections five votes proved to be significant when it comes to Puntland elections.
In the subsequent phase of the democratization process, spanning from 1998 to 2019, the regional state witnessed a substantial progress in the political, economic and social domains, two Presidents, Abdirahman Farole, the man who took the credit and widely believed to have modernized Puntland, And Abdiweli Gaas, presided over this remarkable period.
Faroole, endeavored to reform the electoral model, transitioning from a clan-based system to a One-person, One-vote model, despite his efforts he faced immense challenges and the proposed amendments hit snags and did not come to fruition. 1P1V elections, notably Faroole competed with Gaas as the sitting incumbent, ultimately losing by just one vote.
In 2019, the State Capital hosted another fiercely contested election, that marked a significant juncture in the State's political scene during this election election Said Abdullahi Deni secured victory with a second round majority, what sets this election a part was a departure from the usual pattern where incumbents typically engaged a robust support base at the initial rounds, in contrast the incumbent Gaas didn't make to the second round, rendering this election historically noteworthy in Puntland elections.
In the beginning of the new year, 2024 it brought new and gigantic challenges, the current president, Said Abdullahi Deni in an attempt to reform the electoral system, relentlessly pursued the implementation of a universal suffrage elections. The administration initiated the election process by registering voters and issuing Voter IDs.
It is noteworthy that for the first time in Puntland's history, president Deni managed to hold a successful elections in 30 local districts, However, as the president's term approached its end and due to a perceived lack of inclusive engagement, opposition leaders vehemently opposed the proposed model, they cited concerns and trepidations over fraudulent and irregularities and the potential for political turmoil.
As, predicted, months of political deadlock ensued, leading to a fierce skirmishes within the capital, after a protracted negotiations, an agreement was culminated, resulting in the decision to adhere to the traditional clan-based electoral system.
In Conclusion, The Puntland administration has witnessed numerous elections, each prompting concerns about its process and conduct,this year's election, forecasted as the closest contested, stand out because of the heightened sense of enthusiasm and apprehension compared to previous ones, as candidates keep dropping out and new front runners keep emerging, who will be victorious in the upcoming elections is anyone's guess but Deni has broken the record by becoming the first Puntland's State president to be re-elected for another five year tenure.
Mohamed Hussein Ahmed Mentalist: A renowned author, prominent researcher and senior lecturer based in Mogadishu.