Local elections were meant to be a first democratic step but the territory’s leaders fear they could threaten stability
Whether or not Puntland is ‘ready for democracy’, the government has postponed the local elections due on 15 May. There is no clear notion of when, if ever, they will occur. President Abdirahman Mohamud Farole’s decision to extend his term, the lack of an electoral register and mistrust among the country’s sub-clans leave the as yet unborn democracy facing huge challenges. Until the latest delay, the timetable scheduled local council elections first and then, by January 2014, the selection of a new president.
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