File Photo/Somali Times
The Puntland regional government has refused to sign two of the five points agreed by the federal government, the regional governments and the Benadir region, which were included in the press release of the meeting of the National Consultative Council that was concluded at midnight last night at Villa Somalia.
The press release said that President Said Deni refused to sign those two articles: To federalize the Judiciary and the other article which is the Delimitation of the Powers of the Government which was included in the articles announced last night in the report.
Read: Somalia’s president Hassan Sheikh history of corruption 2012-2017
Read: Somalia’s president Hassan Sheikh history of corruption 2012-2017
”The council, apart from Puntland, agreed and signed the political agreement on the delineation of powers at the government levels, which are: the powers at the federal level, those at the constitution level and those at the joint level,” said a statement released last night.
So why did Puntland reject some of the agreed terms?
Puntland, which was implemented in 1991, is the first administration established after the collapse of the central government, and is called the ‘Mother of the Federation’.
The main reason for rejecting these provisions is ‘considered to be related to power’, as Puntland independently manages its own affairs.
Read: Somalia’s president Hassan Sheikh history of corruption 2012-2017
Judging
The main thing that Puntland opposed to the first article is to federalize the judicial system because they want their judiciary to be independent from the central government, as Puntland recently established a Constitutional Court, according to experts who analyze domestic political issues.
Powers
The second point is the Delimitation of the Powers of the Government, which Puntland has rejected, and it sees itself as a government that is not the same as the powers of the regional governments that have signed the communique.
Puntland’s intention to take this step is explained by its desire to be independent from the federal government of Somalia, which they have discussed many times in the past in matters of administration, such as education, the military and also politics.
The refusal of Puntland on the other hand shows that the relationship and understanding between the federal government led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud is low.
The political tension between the two sides started after the election on May 15, and it came to light when Said Deni lost the seat of the Prime Minister, after Hamza Abdi Barre was appointed from Jubaland.