Somalia: Four dead in Puntland fighting over constitutional amendments

GAROWE, Somalia - At least four people died on Tuesday as rival forces clashed in Garowe, the capital of Puntland, as lawmakers plotted to approve a proposal constitutional amendments, which have been a thorn in the flesh, with critics accusing President Deni of dictatorship.

Before voting in mid-morning, forces allied to the opposition blocked roads linking to various government offices, leading to fierce gunfire exchanges with government forces. Previously, there have been similar tensions over alleged plot to change the constitution.

On Monday, opposition forces clashed with those allied to government as the opposition teams insisted there was a plan to put extension of Deni's term in the order paper. Already, it has been confirmed that four people succumbed to their injuries after the gunfight.

The fighting, reports indicate, was triggered by the decision of regional lawmakers to debate constitutional changes, contrary to the expectations of the opposition. The war has affected business and traffic today with people around Parliament fleeing their houses, witnesses said.

During voting, the state's media indicated, 34 lawmakers of the 35 who attended the session voted in favour of the motion for constitutional amendments while one of them voted against the proposal. This automatically gives President Deni impetus to control the regional politics.

Critics claim the development could pave way for illegal changes to article 46 of the regional constitution which limits number of political parties to 3 and article 79 which limits the term of the leader to just 5 years. The regional leader can serve a maximum of two terms of five years, with Deni's first term elapsing on January 2024.

Deni has been at loggerheads with local politicians, with the latest confrontation coming from recently held local council elections which saw Deni bulldoze implementation against the wish of the opposition. The opposition had accused him of pre-rigging, tracing it back to voter registration.

Besides these tussles, the region has been struggling with payment of civil servants including the state troops, some who have opted to initiate mutiny against the local leadership. The opposition accuses Deni of diverting funds for personal use, necessitating the current impasse.

The federal government has also waged into the crisis, asking authorities in Garowe to allow dialogue for the sake of stability, with some fearing possible resurgence of Al-Shabaab militants, who may take advantage of the current standoff. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been pushing for negotiations.

On his part, Deni, who has fallen out with former loyalists, he insists that the federal government should steer clearly off the regional politics and has even gone ahead to delink Puntland from the central government. His decision to withdraw the state from the federal government has been subject to criticism.

Puntland is Somalia's oldest and most stable state but the recent political skirmishes could send fears to investors, security experts argue, with local leaders asking Garowe to take responsibility. While its not clear when the standoff will be solved, the death of four people has triggered sharp debate about Deni's suitability.

The federal government of Somalia has been tackling a number of underlying problems, including but not limited to regional constitutional chaos. Mogadishu has also proposed a raft of reforms which would topple the current government system, but ironically, all Puntland politicians have ganged up against the intended dropping of parliamentary system.

GAROWE ONLINE