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Puntland Parliament opens constitution amid controversy over political party transition
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    Tuesday June 20, 2023

    Mogadishu (HOL) - Puntland's regional state parliament opened the constitution on Tuesday to amend certain provisions regarding political organizations becoming political parties.

    A special committee assigned to opening the constitution presented a report to the parliament on their findings. Following the report, over 34 lawmakers from the Puntland regional state voted unanimously in favor of opening the constitution, while one MP opposed the decision.

    The controversial issue of opening the constitution aims to revise a constitutional provision that currently states the three organizations with the highest votes in the local council election can transition into political parties. The proposed amendment seeks to allow the top five organizations with the most votes to make this transition.

    This development comes when Garowe city is embroiled in a fierce battle between Puntland government forces and opposition militias on Tuesday morning. Reports indicate that both factions are employing heavy weaponry, and the conflict has escalated, particularly in the vicinity of the parliamentary premises. Although casualties have been reported, the exact number is still unknown.

    In the preceding month, Puntland conducted its first one-person, one-vote elections in over fifty years in the fragile and conflict-ridden Horn of Africa nation, excluding the unrecognized breakaway region of Somaliland, which considers itself an independent republic.

    Some powerful politicians and members of the Puntland opposition groups in Nugal region in Puntland had boycotted polling, forcing the Transitional Puntland Electoral Commission to postpone polls in three of the region's 33 districts, including the state provincial capital, Garowe.

    A day before the elections, members of the Puntland forces loyal to the opposition leaders confiscated ballot boxes and other election materials from six polling stations in three districts and burned them to prevent voting.

    A day prior to the elections, Puntland forces loyal to the opposition leaders confiscated ballot boxes and other election materials from six polling stations in three districts, subsequently destroying them to impede the voting process.

    Nevertheless, on May 25, 3,775 candidates from seven political parties, including the ruling Kaah party, contested 774 seats. Election authorities reported that more than 385,000 voters had registered, but only 177,445 voted.

    The three organizations that secured the most seats in the local council parliament were Kaah, Mideeye, and Sincad. The seat distribution is as follows: Kaah obtained 286 seats, Mideeye secured 211 seats, Sincad acquired 133 seats, Ifiye won 78 seats, Mustaqbal achieved 57 seats, workers secured 7 seats, and Runcad won 2 seats.

    The country's international partners, including the United Nations, European Union and the International Authority on Development also have hailed the district council elections as historic.

     





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