2019 Puntland presidential election

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2019 Puntland presidential election
Flag of Puntland.svg
  2014 January 8, 2019 (2019-01-08) 2024  

66 MPs of the House of Representatives
45 votes needed to win
  Said Abdullahi Deni (cropped).jpg Asad Osman Abdullahi.jpg
Candidate Said Abdullahi Deni Asad Osman Abdullahi
Party Kaah Mideeye
Electoral vote3531

President before election

Abdiweli Gaas
UDAD

Elected President

Said Abdullahi Deni
Kaah

The 2019 Puntland presidential election was held on 8 January 2019 in Garowe, the administrative capital of the autonomous Puntland state of Somalia. The fourth such vote to be held in the state since its establishment 1998, it followed the election of a new Parliament Speaker and Deputy Speakers on January 04, 2019 by the 66-seat bicameral legislature. Candidates included officials from the incumbent Puntland administration, former government ministers and prominent local entrepreneurs. The ballot saw the election of former somali minister of planning Said Abdullahi Deni as the sixth president of Puntland, narrowly defeating General Asad Osman Abdullahi. Parliament of Puntland concurrently elected Ahmed Elmi Osman as Puntland's new vice president in place of Abdihakim Abdullahi Haji Omar.

Contents

Background

2019 Puntland presidential election, with incumbent Abdiweli Gaas in a tight race, holds significant implications for both regional and federal politics in Somalia. The outcome will signal either a continuation of tensions between federal member states and the federal government or a potential shift towards cooperation. This election was served a crucial precursor to the 2022 federal elections, that was shaped Somalia's political crisis 2022. [1]

Campaigns

On January 6, 2019, the Puntland House of Representatives Vetting Committee released the final list of candidates competing in the election on January 8, 2019. According to a press release issued by the Vetting Committee, 21 candidates had registered to compete for the position of President, while 11 others were competing for the position of Vice President. This list was the last one officially registered, meeting all requirements, and the candidates were scheduled to address the House of Representatives before the election. [2]

The highly watched election was scheduled to be held on the Tuesday of that week, with heavy security in place in the administrative capital of Garowe and the headquarters of the Puntland. [2]

Candidates

Major candidates were considered to be aligned with the former President of Puntland, Abdirahman Faroole, who at the time was a member of the upper house of the Somali Parliament and vehemently opposed the incumbent President, Abdiweli Gaas. [1]

Results

President

Said Abdullahi Deni emerged as the new president of puntland, defeating Asad Osman Abdullahi in the final round. Deni secured 35 votes from the 66 members of the Puntland House of Representatives, while Asad Diano received 31 votes. Incumbent president Abdiweli Gaas was eliminated in the first round after receiving only 8 votes. [3] [4]

CandidateFirst roundSecond roundThird round
Votes%Votes%Votes%
Said Abdullahi Deni 2030.772943.943553.03
Asad Osman Abdullahi 1726.153045.453146.97
Farah Ali Shire 913.85710.61
Abdiweli Gaas 812.31
Mohamoud Khalif Jabiye 710.77
Ali Haji Warsame 11.54
Ali Isse Abdi11.54
Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan 11.54
Mohammed Abdullahi Hussain11.54
Mohamed Ahmed Gar 00.00
Ali Abdi Aware 00.00
Khalif Isse Mudan 00.00
Dahir Mire Jibril 00.00
Adan Mohamed Isse Gadale 00.00
Mohamed Ali Isman 00.00
Abdisamad Gallan 00.00
Said Mohamed Hersy 00.00
Mohamed Ahmed Shaale 00.00
Abdi Farah Said Juha 00.00
Mahamud Hasan Khalif 00.00
Abdikadir Yasin Abdi 00.00
Total65100.0066100.0066100.00
Source: Allbanaadir, Garowe Online

Vice president

Ahmed Elmi Osman (Karaash) was elected as the vice president of puntland after he defeated Abdi Ibrahim Warsame Qawdhan in the third round. Karaash received 47 votes from 66 members of the Puntland House of Representatives, while Abdi Qawdhan was given 19 votes. In the first round, former vice president Abdihakim Amey was eliminated after receiving only 8 votes. [5]

CandidateFirst roundSecond roundThird round
Votes%Votes%Votes%
Ahmed Elmi Osman 2436.363451.524771.21
Abdi Ibrahim Warsame 1522.732334.851928.79
Abdullahi Ali Hersi (Tima-ade) 1218.18913.64
Abdihakim Haji Omar Amey 1116.67
Abdullahi Sheikh Mohamed 11.52
Mohamoud Ahmed Hassan (Dhagaweyne) 11.52
Ahmed Mohamed Sadiq (Eenow) 00.00
Ahmed Cali Mohamed (Dhaga-ade) 00.00
Abdirahman Guled Ali 11.52
Abdisalam Mohamud Salwe 00.00
Abdikarim Mohamed Hassan (Gaaleef) 11.52
Total66100.0066100.0066100.00
Source: Puntland Post, All-Sanaag, Daljir Media

Reactions

In the aftermath of the Puntland presidential election, the Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia and Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Raisedon Zenenga extended congratulations to Said Abdullahi Deni and Ahmed Elmi Osman for their respective victories as President and Vice-President of Puntland. [6]

Mr. Zenenga also commended Puntland’s electoral commission for organizing and executing a transparent, peaceful, free, and fair electoral process. He expressed anticipation in working closely with President Deni's administration and praised outgoing President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali ‘Gaas’ and his administration for facilitating a peaceful transfer of power and creating conditions conducive to the success of the electoral process. [7] [8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Madaxweyne Gaas oo tartanka ugu culus kala kulmaya siyaasi aan musharax ahayn". BBC News Somali (in Somali). Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  2. 1 2 "Liiska rasmiga ah ee Musharaxiinta Puntland oo la shaaciyey [DAAWO]". Garowe Online. 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  3. "Saciid Deni oo loo doortay madaxweynaha Puntland". www.voasomali.com. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  4. "Somalia's Puntland gets new president". The East African. 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  5. "Liiska Dhabta ah ee Musharixiint Buuxiyey Shuruudaha | allsanaag" . Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  6. "UNSOM congratulates Said Abdullahi Deni on election as President of Puntland". UNSOM. 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  7. "UNSOM Congratulates Said Abdullahi Deni on Election as President of Puntland | Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs". dppa.un.org. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  8. "Somalia: UN congratulates Puntland region's newly-elected President | UN News". news.un.org. 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2024-04-23.