President of Puntland State of Somalia Faults Appointments by Acting Prime Minister of Somalia

The President of Puntland State of Somalia, Saed Abdullahi Deni has decried the recent appointments made by the Acting Prime minister of Somalia Mehid Gilded and the outgoing cabinet on the Judicial Service Commission. He described the move as ‘Unconstitutional’.

Saed Abdillahi Deni, the President of Puntland State of Somalia has faulted the recent appointments made by the acting Prime minister of Somalia Mehdi Guiled in the Judicial Service Commission and the Somali Petroleum Authority.

Deni emphasized that the move was ‘unconstitutional’ and his state will not recognise the newly appointed members as well as their roles.

In his remarks on the 22nd anniversary of Puntland State, he strongly advised the president of the Federal Government of Somalia Mohamed Abdillahi Farmajo against breaking the country’s constitution.

The move by the outgoing cabinet to nominate members to the Judicial Service Commission has been widely condemned with lawyers terming it a violation of the country’s constitution.

Civil society groups, politicians, and lawyers have dismissed the move noting the current cabinet as acting only in a caretaker capacity, thus it lacks the legal capacity to conduct such an exercise.

On Thursday, 30 July 2020, the Council of Ministers had approved members to the Judicial Service Commission, the Somali Petroleum Authority, and the Somali Quality Assurance Board.