In August 1998, traditional elders and local leaders came together for a consultative process that created the foundation of the autonomous Puntland State of Somalia. Apart from consolidating security and overcoming the chaos and lawlessness that prevailed in the region after the downfall of the Somali national state, the fundamental purpose for establishing Puntland state was to transcend the clan dominance and constitute a modern system of government based on democracy and a multi-party system of governance. While the efforts and commitment of Puntland stakeholders to institutionalising governance led to considerable state infrastructure, however, clan-based political structures have remained dominant.
Since then, six presidential selection processes, in which traditional elders (Isimo) selected 66 members of parliament who then elected the President, Vice President, and Speaker, were held between 1998 and 2019. All of these selection processes were characterized by a relatively peaceful transfer of power and continuity of state functions Further institutionalisation of the democratic process in Puntland was embarked on in 2005 through a draft constitution which was later adopted following a constituent assembly vote during President Farole’s administration. The draft constitution received overwhelming approval in 2012 with 472 votes from 480 delegates voting for its adoption.
This report chronicles the main findings from the survey along with analysis on key issues pertaining to the upcoming local council elections and overall democratization agenda of Puntland. The report also presents recommendations for the way forward. PDRC believes that the findings of this survey will stir a genuine public and policy debate around local council elections and will help identify actionable strategies to address potential impediments to successful local council elections in Puntland.