Puntland

Puntland Government To Counter Somaliland Bid To Register Voters

Garowe (PP News Desk) — The Puntland Government has relieved the Badhan district police of their duties for failing to counter voter registration plans of the Somaliland administration.

The Puntland Government has now deployed troops in Badhan, and ordered them to remove any symbols of the Somaliland administration.

A delegation led by the Puntland Parliamentary Speaker Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril visited the contested district last week to fend off accusations that Puntland was unable to block voter registration plans ahead of Somaliland’s parliamentary elections.

Puntland deployed troops in Badhan after the district police had been accused of loyalty to the Somaliland administration.

“(The) Puntland and Somaliland administrations have influence in Badhan. Badhan politicians based in Hargeisa are committed to boosting their representation in Hargeisa, and enjoy the support of senior traditional leaders of Badhan constituency” says Ali Farah, an activist from Badhan.

In 2017 elections, Waddani, a Somaliland opposition party, won the highest number of seats in the Sanaag region.

Badhan reportedly fielded candidates for both the Kulmiye and Waddani parties.

“Badhan politicians and traditional leaders are keen to maintain their links with Hargeisa because more representation affords them an opportunity to access human development projects under the Somaliland Development Fund” a Bosaso-based political journalist told the Puntland Post.

Badhan is one of the most-populated districts of Sanaag but the Puntland Transitional Electoral Commission excluded Badhan from districts designated as venues for the 2021 pilot local elections in Puntland.

This article first appeared in the © Puntland Post, 2021 and is republished with permission

Lisa Conklin

Lisa is an Eastender from London in her second year in Taipei where she teaches English, and in her spare time writes poetry. She is a practicing vegan and lover of yoga who lives 'off-grid' as much as possible. She is our weekend editor.

Recent Posts

Israeli embassy staff killed in D.C. shooting; suspect shouts “Free Palestine” upon arrest

Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were fatally shot Wednesday evening outside…

22 hours ago

US President Trump unveils ambitious ‘Golden Dome’ space-based missile defense plan

President Donald Trump on Tuesday outlined the United States' most ambitious missile defense initiative yet:…

2 days ago

Britain, France and Canada condemn Israel’s plans for ground operations in Gaza

In a dramatic shift in international tone, some of Israel’s closest Western allies have issued…

2 days ago

Trump announces immediate Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks after call with Putin

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin negotiations aimed…

3 days ago

Mexican Navy Ship collision with NY’s Brooklyn Bridge leaves two dead and nineteen injured

A tragic accident unfolded on Saturday when the Mexican Navy’s training vessel Cuauhtémoc collided with…

5 days ago

Ex-FBI boss Comey under secret service investigation over controversial Instagram post allegedly targeting Trump

Former FBI Director James Comey is under investigation by the U.S. Secret Service after a…

1 week ago