Vice President Ahmed Elmi Osman Karaash of Puntland has reiterated the government’s commitment to the democratization process.
The Vice President announced the commitment on August 15 at a function organized by the Transitional Puntland Electoral Commission (TPEC).
Karaash promised the people of Puntland that the government is focused on creating and enhancing the kind of democracy that truly hands power over to the people.
Puntland, just like other parts of Somalia, is scheduled to hold elections at the end of the year.
Regional leaders are currently meeting with President Mohamed Farmaajo of the Federal Government of Somalia in Dhusamareb to discuss election dates and the best electoral model.
However, reports indicate that President Said Abdullahi Deni of Puntland is not in Dhusamareb.
Similarly, President Ahmed Islam Madobe of Jubbaland has skipped the meeting thus leaving only three out of the five regional leaders at the talks.
Last week, President Deni led a delegation of senior government officials to tour Djibouti on an official visit.
Consequently, Vice President Karaash is the Acting President of Puntland in Deni’s absence.