Somalia PM, Puntland ex-President confer on Nat’l Election

GAROWE, Somalia-Federal Government of Somalia’s Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has met with former Puntland President Abdirahman Farole in the State capital of Garowe on Saturday morning, Garowe Online reports.

The closed-door meeting focused on the newly adopted electoral model for 2016 elections later this year.

Farole has previously decried any proposal ushering in return to traditional 4.5 power sharing formula, with Prime Minister Sharmarke pushing for consensus agreement on the model.

Puntland objected to the blueprint introduced by the federal government, and endorsed by International Community as ‘obsolete’.

In February, a group of diplomats led by new UN envoy to Somalia, Ambassador Michael Keating, arrived in Puntland to listen to the views of government, politicians and civil society.

The private meeting has got underway after Sharmarke visited Farole in his residence in Garowe.

--Major sticking point

Prime Minister Sharmarke who is on visit to Garowe is facing watershed moments for his proposal as pressure continues to mount from international community members.

On Saturday, federal government delegation members requested Puntland to agree to 4.5 quota during intense deliberations closed to the media at the State House.

UN-backed national government once more reiterated that Puntland would have additional three seats in the Upper House, something of which Puntland is leery, presidency sources tell Garowe Online.

Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, whom Diaspora community members emboldened on trips to Canada and the US assured that any pressure would not see Puntland position on the controversial power sharing qouta wane.

Meanwhile in Garowe, Nugal regional police Commander Abdirahman Abshir Farah confirmed that security sweeps throughout the region netted 50 suspects on the heels of the end of cleanup operations in which over 200 militants were killed.

GAROWEONLINE