Puntland local government elections: Implications and prospects for the Puntland parliamentary and presidential elections

For the first time since its establishment 25 years ago, the Puntland State of Somalia concluded the first local government elections based on universal suffrage. This long-awaited dream of Puntland citizens had been tried many times in the past, with each attempt failing for a variety of reasons: time, lack of civic education, lack of trust, and so on. On 25 May 2023, the citizens of 30 districts in Puntland finally went to the polling stations to elect their local councils.