Somalia: Former Minister elected to lead new Puntland polls agency

GAROWE, Puntland – The newly formed Puntland electoral commission has on Sunday, 25th August elected Guled Salah Bare as new chairman during an election held in Garowe, the state’s capital, Garowe Online reports.

The nine-member transitional polls agency picked Jama Hersi Farah as the deputy chairman while former BBC Somali service journalist, Abdinur Sheikh Mohamed becomes the spokesman.

The new Puntland electoral commission was sworn in last week in the presence of President Said Abdullahi Deni, who appointed five of them, while the other four were elected by the parliament.Th

e new chairman has previously served as minister of environment in Puntland’s last government. Bare is currently holding the director of SIDRA, a research and policy analysis Think Tank based in Garowe.

Bare is expected to announce his resignation from SIDRA leadership, as he accepts the honor of leading the electoral body charged with overseeing the implementation of the electioneering process of Puntland.

GAROWE ONLINE