Puntland security forces took over the parliament building in Garowe on Saturday night, where regional lawmakers held meetings over the last few hours.
Marine forces and military vehicles surrounded the parliament building this morning, two witnesses said, three days after the Parliament objected to President Said Deni’s appointment on the parliamentary disputes resolution committee ahead of next month’s parliamentary and presidential elections.
However, the Parliament appointed a new committee, sparking a dispute between the President and the Parliament. Two weeks ago, the SSC-Khatumo traditional committee, tasked with resolving the election 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.
The regional Parliament endorsed the decision of the traditional elders and voted to extend its term by one year. The Speaker of the Puntland Parliament, Abdirashid Yusuf Jabril, and Parliament members insist on a one-year extension period.
Reports indicate that the Speaker of the Parliament and opposition members are expected to accuse President Deni of hijacking the parliament headquarters while MPs were busy completing remaining tasks, including approving the budget.
