President of Puntland
The president of Puntland is the head of government and state of Puntland. The Presidency was elected by the House of Representatives of Puntland behind establishing the Puntland State in Somalia on 1 August 1998.
History and establishment
In 1998, the state of Puntland declared its autonomy, and Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, who later served as the 8th President of Somalia, was chosen as the state's first president.On 8 January 2024, President Said Abdullahi Deni was re-elected in the 2024 Puntland presidential election.
Qualification eligibility
To be eligible as the president of Puntland, according to Article 78 of the Puntland Constitution. candidate must meet the following criteria:- Be a native of Puntland.
- Be a practicing Muslim.
- Be mentally sound.
- Be older than age 40.
- Not be married to a foreigner.
- Have educational qualifications, experience, and leadership credentials.
- Have lived in Puntland for the past two years.
- Not have been convicted by a court of a major crime.
Term of office
The first president, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was mandated to serve three years in office by the early Puntland provisional charter.After yusuf term expired in 2001, Puntland House of Representatives extended the executive term.
That extension caused Puntland crisis (2001–2003). There have been no term extensions for the presidency since Abdullahi Yusuf.
Since then 2005 Puntland presidential election, the presidential election should be held on January 8th after the president and vice president has completed their term in office, according to the Constitution of Puntland.
After April 18, 2012, Puntland constitution was ratified and was effective March 4, 2012, the president and vice president are should be held office for a duration of five years. The term of office of the incumbent president continues until the president-elect takes office. Upon assuming office, the president takes the following oath in front of the House of Representatives of Puntland;
List
In 2001, the first president, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, whose term was expiring, was ousted from the capital by the opposition for refusing to step down. The opposition held a shir in November and elected Jama Ali Jama as president. Therefore, Jama Ali Jama is sometimes considered the second president of Puntland.However, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed formed an army and, with Ethiopian support, expelled Jama Ali Jama from the capital in early 2002. Therefore, today, Somali media usually don't count Jama Ali Jama a Puntland president, and report Mohamed Abdi Hashi as the second president.
Therefore, Abdirahman Farole is the "fourth president," according to a document issued in 2018 by the Puntland Bureau of Statistics. And the current president of Puntland, Said Deni, writes in his Facebook page until 2023, "The 6th and Current President Of the Puntland State of Somalia", and from 2024, "The 7th and Current President Of the Puntland State of Somalia."