Hiiraan Online
Monday April 4, 2016
GAROWE (HOL) – The former president of the Puntland semiautonomous state in northern eastern Somalia announced on Sunday he was running for the upcoming Somalia’s presidency in 2016, joining a crowd of candidates vying for the country’s top position.
“I hereby declare that I am a candidate running for Somalia’s presidency – I felt called to by people to improve their lives for the better.” said Abdirahman Farole, the former Puntland president who lost electons to Abdiweli Mohamed in 2014 at a oress conference in Garowe, the regional capital of Puntland.
Having served as the president of Puntland from 2009 to 2014, Mr. Farole said that he can lead Somali to a more stable and prosperous period, drawing his experience drawn from years he spent leading Puntland to a more matured political track to provide a model for the whole of Somalia.
“I am Mullah; I am a man who never considered bad deeds over the good deeds which can enable me in advancing the country’s political roadmap with an emphasis of improving security.” He said at his candidacy announcement event.
Having credited with stability and economic improvement during his reign as Puntland president, during which he introduced more modest reforms in the social sector, particularly in the education and healthcare fields, Mr. Farole said he would kickstart his political campaign to run for the elections.
Dozens of Somali politicians have earlier declared their bids to run for the upcoming Somali presidential elections this year as the country seeks appropriate ways to hold transparent and inclusive elections in 2016, to enable a power transfer when the current government’s term expires in 2016.
Enabling adequate representations of women, youth and minority groups are among key priorities the international community urged the central government to implement.
According to Somalia’s Provisional Federal Constitution, adopted in 2012, the mandates of the Somali Federal Parliament and of the Government would come to an end in August and September 2016, respectively.
Somalia’s government which proposed the presidential election which is due to take place in June, however, it dismissed the likelihood of holding popular elections due to security challenges.
The Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabab group continues to carry out violent attacks across Somalia by carrying out guerrilla attacks including suicide attacks and assassinations.
The international community which is spearheading efforts aimed at restoring peace and order into the horn of Africa nation shattered by decades-old conflict mandated the current government to lead country into general elections following the election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a new parliament and adoption of a new constitution in 2012.