People from Southwest state will have right to vote in Puntland: Deni

MOGADISHU, Somalia - President Deni announced that people from the Southwest state who are living in Puntland have the right to participate in the election as voter registration underway in three districts.

While attending the FGS-FMS electoral talks in Mogadishu, Deni said his government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that Somalis fled from the south under various circumstances will cast their votes.

"I am very happy that the Somali people who came to Puntland from different parts of the country during the conflict, and became part of the local population will freely participate in the coming elections,” he said.

Continuing, the Puntland president added that every Somali citizen in his Federal State has the right to vote in the constituency he or she lives, and elect the future leaders who will have an impact on their lives.

Deni termed this as a positive step and remarkable progress for the people of Puntland who have shown generosity and hospitality to their brothers and sisters fled drought and rising insecurity in the south.

“I urge the people to work on development and security of Puntland because they have prospered, worked, lived, born children here and they will live in the future, and have the right to vote for leaders.

Deni's remarks come as a voter registration exercise is smoothly ongoing in Qardho, Eyl, and Ufeyn districts for local government election, in the first democratic vote in Puntland since incepted in 1998.

As part of the foundation pillars of the democratization, Puntland in northeastern Somalia started the multi-party system, which is expected to move oil-rich Federal-State out of the long-running clan-based electoral process.

GAROWE ONLINE