Sunday October 25, 2026
Garowe (HOL) — Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni on Sunday accused Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of abandoning consensus-based elections, warning that the federal government's new electoral timetable threatens Somalia's unity and the foundations of its federal system.
Speaking at the opening of the 59th session of the Puntland Parliament in Garowe, Deni said the political agreements that established Somalia's current governance system, including the 2012 provisional Constitution, had effectively been disregarded.
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He criticized the electoral timetable announced on Oct. 15, accusing Hassan Sheikh of pursuing an election process without securing an agreement among Somalia's political stakeholders.
Deni warned that the decision could undermine the country's state-building process and called for urgent consultations to resolve the political dispute.
He urged Somali political leaders, traditional elders and other segments of society to come together to reach a negotiated settlement that would preserve national unity and the federal system.
The Puntland president also called on international partners to support an inclusive political dialogue, arguing that Somalia's future governance arrangements must be based on broad agreement rather than unilateral decisions.
Deni acknowledged growing frustration among Puntland residents over the country's political direction, saying many had long hoped to see the establishment of a stable and fully functioning Somali state.
He pledged that his administration would not make decisions that undermined the interests or aspirations of Puntland's people.
“My government would consult residents and political stakeholders before determining its next steps in response to the ongoing national political dispute,” he added.
His remarks come after Somalia's National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission announced that elections for both houses of the Federal Parliament would be held on April 15, 2027, followed by a presidential election on May 15.
Puntland and Jubaland, along with several opposition groups, have rejected the federal government's electoral framework, arguing that constitutional changes and election arrangements adopted without broad political consensus lack legitimacy.
The federal government maintains that the electoral timetable is consistent with the country's revised constitutional framework and electoral legislation.
The dispute has deepened disagreements between Mogadishu and regional administrations over constitutional authority, political representation and the process for selecting Somalia's next federal leadership.