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Puntland to Host Annual Somalia Policy Ideas Forum
GAROWE, Puntland – The northeastern Somalia state of Puntland hosted a large number of distinguished guests on Saturday ahead of the 2020 Annual Ideas Forum, scheduled for December 29.
The fourth forum, held for the first time in Somalia, aims to foster dialogue among Somalis on issues related to politics, security, the constitution, federalism and elections, according to the Heritage Institute.
Some 200 participants, including senior Somali government officials, Senate and Lower House speakers, as well as businessmen, civic leaders and youth were invited to attend the gathering in Garowe.
Puntland President HE Said Abdullahi Deni warmly welcomed the presidents of both houses of parliament, along with senators, parliamentarians and government officials at the airport on Saturday morning.
This year’s theme is: “How Somalia can emerge from protracted transition in 2025.”
The forum comes amid a political crisis in the country that plunged the 2020-21 elections into a stalemate with the country’s leaders over the appointment of the electoral body by the Prime Minister of the Federal Government.
There is no solution on the horizon to end the ongoing disputes. But international partners have called on the Somali government and other relevant political actors to resolve their differences through dialogue.
Recently, the leaders of Puntland and Galmudug Deni and Qoor-Qoor respectively announced that they will mediate the deadlock with a view to resolving contentious issues related to the elections in Somalia.
The main opposition candidates boycotted the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections due to the inclusion of intelligence agents and officials in the electoral commission and demanded a neutral electoral commission.
His decision further exacerbated the confrontation and caused a delay in the election calendar twice this year. Somalia’s outgoing president, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, was accused of failing to hold free and fair elections at the end of his four-year term.
GAROWE ONLINE
