Garowe (AX) — In a recent announcement, the President of Northeastern State of Somalia, Said Abdullahi Deni, expressed his administration’s backing for Jubbaland President Ahmed Madobe to carry out independent elections in the coming month, stressing the critical necessity of respecting the autonomy of regional governance.
“Our dedication lies in assisting Jubbaland to conduct its elections in accordance with established norms,” Deni declared, urging the electoral body in Jubbaland to move forward with the election procedures.
He firmly stated, “The federal government is devoid of the constitutional power to meddle in the elections of member states,” blaming federal authorities for allegedly trying to halt regional laws to tighten their grip.
Deni argued that the federal leaders are not supportive of the “one person, one vote” electoral system, claiming they favor prolonging regional state terms by a year to strategize for their own tenure extension. He cautioned that the stability of Somalia hangs in the balance if the federal powers disregard the rule of law.
In April 2024, Northeastern State announced a state of semi-independence, driven by discontent with the prevailing federal constitution, specifically concerning provisions relating to resource sharing and governance over its vast oil resources. The state intends to function independently until amendments to the constitution receive approval through a nationwide referendum.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
