Hiiraan Online
Saturday, April 11, 2015
GAROWE (HOL) --- The Puntland semiautonomous region in northern Somalia has warned Somalia's government to stop intervening the country's constitution review process, in a new political storm that may open a door for a new constitutional crisis.
Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gas, Puntland's president told Somali officials attending a regional assembly between the government and the region to steer clear of 'serious' interference related to the horn of Africa nation's provisional constitution.
"We believe there's a redundant interference being made to the constitution by the government," He said at the packed conference room attended by Somali government representatives on Saturday.
"Such interference must be stopped - any changes or review which is to be made to the constitution should come through consultations." He said.
Somalia's prime minister Omar Abdirashid who's attending the assembly tried to relieve Puntland's concerns, vowing his government would fulfill agreements between the two sides.
The two sides are meeting in the Puntland capital Garowe to discuss about the controversial central Somalia state formations, a process held out by Puntland which believes the new state aims to annex parts of its territory.
The two sides formed a taskforce from the two sides to figure out the controversial issue. Political analysts predict that an immediate resolution would be unlikely at this point given the acrimonious clan-based complex issues the two sides should fathom.
Puntland has cut ties with the Mogadishu-based government numerous times; however, the northern Somalia region has maintains its status of being part of Somalia unlike its neighboring breakaway Somaliland which declared a unilateral independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991. However, no country has so far recognized Somaliland as an independent state.