TPEC Chairman Resigns

Guled Salah has overseen the Puntland democratization process that culminated in the successful conducting of pilot local elections at Ufeyn, Eyl and Qardho.

Garowe (PP News Desk) — The Chairman of Puntland Transitional Electoral Commission Guled Salah resigned from his position as a high level commissioner and Chairman. “Today I sumbitted a letter of resignation to TPEC commissioners. I also submitted a letter of resignation to Puntland parliamentary speaker” Guled said in a statement for the media.

Guled said that difficult circumstances had prevented him from remaining a commissioner to play a role in the democratization process. He did not specify the circumstances that had brought to an end the two-year tenure of the former TPEC Chairman who will be remembered for overseeing the process for conducting 2021 pilot local elections held at Eyl, Qardho and Ufeyn.

Mohamed A. Hussein (Shortaye), a 2019 Puntland Presidential Candidate, told Daljir radio that, despite the opposition of Aaran Jaan (Devil’s Associates) to the democrstization process, Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni was committed to the transition to a multiparty system. “There was suspicion that the firing of the former commander of Puntland Police Force had to with his reluctance to help someone people rig the pilot local elections. The resignation of TPEC Chairman is a major setback for Puntland” Mohamed added.

Meanwhile, Abdi Farah Saeed (Juha), the former Federal Interior Minister, likened the resignation of Guled from TPEC chairmanship to “the death of Puntland democratization process.”

© Puntland Post, 2022