Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abshir Omar Huruse, resigned on Monday to run for the position of Puntland regional state President in the upcoming election next month.
Mr. Huruse, who submitted his letter of resignation to Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre, stated that he chose to step down voluntarily to dedicate time to the Puntland presidential election campaign. He had been one of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s close cabinet members.
Earlier this month, the President of the semi-autonomous state of Puntland, Said Deni, rolled back plans to hold next year’s parliamentary polls via a one-person, one-vote system. Instead, he opted to continue with a complex, clan-based ballot.
In May, the oil-rich region staged its first direct polls in more than half a century during local council elections, a move hailed by international partners as historic.
