The Speaker of the Puntland Parliament, Abdidirashid Yusuf Jibril, has opposed the decision of the Puntland High Court to annul the one-year extension of the parliament today.
Speaker Jibril accused the constitutional court of aligning with President Deni’s government, contending that the parliament was not allowed to defend their decision.
The Speaker’s objection arises following a divergence of opinions in the parliament regarding the court’s decision. Some members welcomed the court’s ruling, advocating for the house’s dissolution.
Furthermore, the Vice President of Puntland, Ahmed Karaash, has accused President Deni of engaging in what he terms a dictatorship, alleging that President Deni is limiting the administration’s power and disregarding the advice of the people.
Karaash addressed the intellectuals and various sectors of the Puntland community, warning that if President Deni takes any steps that are not in line with their agreement, he will be responsible for the consequences.
Ahmed Karaash has openly aligned himself with the parliamentary committee and members of the opposition. The group advocates for defending the extension of the parliament’s term, a decision that the constitutional court recently nullified.
The Puntland Regional State Parliament had previously voted to extend its term by one year in response to a decision from the SSC-Khatumo traditional committee addressing an election dispute. The committee, tasked with resolving the dispute, proposed that current parliament members would elect the President and Vice President. Subsequently, they would plan for a new parliamentary election, using the one-person, one-vote election model, twelve months later.
During Thursday’s parliamentary session, lawmakers endorsed the elders’ decision, asserting they took charge of the decision on electoral issues. The Speaker of Parliament, Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril, announced that he would appoint the committee to elect the President and vice president in the next few days.
