PM Omar Travels to Garowe as Madobe and Gas Team Up Ahead of 2016

Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid is scheduled to travel to Garowe where two regional leaders are meeting amid growing discontent between states and federal government.

Jubbaland president Ahmed Mohamed Islam and Puntland president Abdiwali Mohamed Ali Gas have been meeting in Garowe in an apparent attempt to form a united front ahead of 2016 anticipated elections.

Both states have severed relationship with the federal government over accusation of meddling with the draft constitution.

Puntland parliament yesterday passed a resolution invalidating the copy of the draft constitution used by the Federal government saying that copy had been altered. It has also refused to recognize the Independent Commissions and the newly formed Federal state of Galmudug.

These developments could pose adverse implications on the federalization processes and realization of Vision 2016.

Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid, himself hailing from Puntland, is expected to ease tensions and pave way for better cooperation.

The articles on federalization have been contentious since different political formations and entities give it varied interpretations. Key among the contested articles includes that on resource sharing, devolution and power sharing.

The PM’s trip comes just a week before regional leaders and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamudare due to meet to come up with tentative arrangements for 2016 elections. But analysts have cast doubts on whether the meeting itself would be of any help given that Puntland has refused to recognize the newly formed Galmudug State whose president Abdikarim Hussein Guled is supposed to attend the meeting as a regional leader. Equally,Puntland president AbdiwaliAli Gas may decline to share a platform with Guled whom he doesn’t recognize as a president.

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