Puntland political parties say they do not have the funds to run in the elections

Puntland’s multi-party elections are in jeopardy after political parties demanded a postponement, citing a lack of funding.

As planned in October, three districts in Puntland were scheduled to hold mock local government elections, with political parties competing. However, yesterday the political parties issued a statement stating that they could not run in the elections until they received the funds to run in the elections, part of which was promised by the Puntland administration.

Political parties also pointed out the coincidence of federal and Puntland elections, saying they could not be held at the same time. Meanwhile, the Puntland civil society umbrella has strongly opposed the demand by political parties to postpone the elections, saying the move could seriously damage efforts to the democratic process in Puntland.

The umbrella group said there was no valid reason to postpone the elections, and warned that political parties had led to the failure of the 23-year goal of removing Puntland from the tribal system.

The Puntland presidency had promised political parties a monthly stipend of $ 10,000 to help with the election campaign, and the organizations said they have not received the money again since the first month.