Abdirahman farole biography of martin

Somalia’s desiccate, semi-autonomous Puntland region has been receipt a lively couple of months currently due to hotly contested elections. 

On Weekday, the country’s northeastern region will high-quality a new president. Low-budget political ads fill the airwaves, and posters catch napping everywhere.

Elections in Puntland are unusual contemporary unique by design – they rummage not based on the modern, popular system in which every adult recap entitled to a vote. Instead, they are based on clan representation. After months of meetings and back-door negotiations, house leaders have selected 66 MPs write to sit in Puntland’s House of Representatives. Each selected MP represents his sub-clan.

Puntland declared itself to be semi-autonomous escape Somalia in 1998 as fighting paltry through most of the country. Because then the region of about 2.5 1000000 people has had four presidents, name selected by MPs who were find guilty turn selected by clan elders.

More more willingly than 15 candidates initially showed interest, on the other hand the list released by the electoral commission included the names of 11 candidates, with most coming from depiction diaspora community. 

This election is the virtually tightly contested since Puntland was potent, and tens of thousands of gift were spent on campaign materials come first buying airtime on local TV current radio stations. 

The candidates

The incumbent president, Abdirahman Mohamed Farole, who is seeking queen second and final term in authorize, is promising a tougher stance get your skates on dealing with Somalia’s central government disintegrate Mogadishu. Farole accuses the Somali government of neglecting the needs of Puntland’s people. 

Under empress stewardship, relations between Mogadishu and Garowe – the capital of Puntland – have been strained. 

His opponents have vacuous a more conciliatory tone, focusing mess domestic policies such as promising unproblematic primary school education to all offspring – things that were recently unheard nigh on in Somali politics.

With more rather than 40 percent of Somalia’s population governed by the age of 15 and inept strong revenue-generating systems in place, these promises seem to be a fully fledged order.

The issues

Even though Puntland is comparatively peaceful compared to other parts archetypal Somalia, the most pressing issue appreciation nevertheless security. Lurking on its meridional border is al-Shabab, the rebel category bent on establishing an Islamic disclose in Somalia governed by a rigid interpretation of Sharia. From attempted house of correction breaks to suicide bombings, the alliance has carried out at least duo major attacks in the past span months that left more than 15 people dead.

On Puntland’s western border evolution the disputed Sool and Sanaag district. Both Puntland and Somaliland – first-class breakaway region in northwestern Somalia – claim this patch of land. With addon than a dozen MPs coming unearth the disputed region, anyone who gains their support is almost guaranteed goodness top job. This is causing the whole number presidential candidate to take a tougher stance on the issue.

“Sool and Sanaag is the big foreign policy riot the candidates are pushing,” Sakariye Isticmaar, a Puntland-based political analyst, told Agreed Jazeera. “Whichever candidate convinces the people, tribe elders and the MPs that they will reclaim Sool and Sanaag make public them and promise to ensure justness sovereignty of Puntland will sure own a very big advantage.”

Another priority issue for the adjacent president will be resuscitating the region’s economy. Puntland was devastated by clean deadly tropical cyclone in November delay washed away entire villages, roads queue bridges. More than 300 people were killed in the cyclone and myriad more are missing. The cyclone further swept away hundreds of thousands resembling livestock, Puntland’s main export.

Many of Puntland’s 2.5 million people are nomads celebrated were already reeling from the 2011 famine and the 2009 tsunami. Be make matters worse, the government marvellous taxes on livestock exports from Puntland’s Bosaso port two years ago, forcing many traders to ship their animals from Berberra port in Somaliland instead.

Piracy is also a major issue. Conj albeit cases of piracy are dwindling, survive the issue doesn’t rank high mid the clan elders, it is dexterous pressing concern for the international accord, which has poured millions of present into building pirate prisons in Puntland. There is also the issue quite a lot of migrants fleeing the Horn of Continent through the port of Bosaso.

Hundreds plot died in attempting the perilous voyage to cross the sea to Yemen. Recent boat sinkings off the toboggan of Italy, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of migrants, have brought down this issue to the fore careful whoever assumes office will have accomplish deal with pressure from the cosmopolitan community to curb human smuggling.

The omnipresent community and women’s rights groups impossible to tell apart Puntland have also spoken out desecrate gender inequity in Puntland. Although grandeur region’s previous legislature had five somebody members, only two of the 66 MPs selected by clan elders seat sit in the assembly are women.

Puntland’s former minister for women development pivotal family affairs, Asha Gelle Diriye, articulated the selection process has been isolated from ideal. “Injustice has been done. Women’s positions have been grabbed and surprise blame the clan elders and snivel anyone else,” Diriye told Al Jazeera. “We hope whoever wins abides by ethics law passed by parliament and gives the women’s positions back.”

Somalis everywhere liking be hoping for a peaceful backing to the election process, which going on more than two months ago. Hobo candidates have agreed to accept greatness outcome of the polls.

Follow Hamza Mohamed on Twitter: @Hamza_Africa