Former Puntland President, now senior Senator Abdirahman Faroole, warned the region’s current President, Said Abdullahi Deni, urging him not to amend the state’s constitution. Faroole, who leads the opposition party Horseed, expressed concerns that altering the constitution could create problems especially as Puntland is in a critical political phase.
He argued that there are no pressing circumstances justifying a change in the constitution, accusing Deni of wanting to amend it merely to secure his presidential position and remove any barriers to his objectives.
Faroole’s warning followed reports that President Deni had convened a meeting with political organizations to discuss potential amendments to the Puntland constitution. The proposed changes would restrict the number of political parties permitted in local government elections to five, compared to the current limit of three.
The Senior Senator emphasized that any modifications to the state’s constitution should only occur after the ratification of the permanent federal constitution. He also warned that Deni would be held accountable for any issues stemming from these changes.
Faroole further encouraged Deni to reestablish communication with Somalia’s federal government to better advocate for the Puntland region. Deni was absent from the previous National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting, which convenes leaders from Somalia’s regional states and federal government.
