SOMALIA - PUNTLAND PARLIAMENT SEATED, YUSUF NEUTRAL

UNCLAS NAIROBI 000007 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI PINR SO SUBJECT: SOMALIA - PUNTLAND PARLIAMENT SEATED, YUSUF NEUTRAL REF: 08 NAIROBI 2899 ¶1. Summary: The semi-automous region of Puntland's 66 new legislators were sworn in on January 1 in Garowe. They will spend the next week being courted by candidates for the presidency of Puntland. The MPs are scheduled to elect a President on January 8. Recently-resigned Transitional Federal Government (TFG) President Abdullahi Yusuf spoke at the January 1 swearing-in ceremony, underlining his neutrality in the race, and hoping for a peaceful and undisputed outcome. Former Somali Prime Minister Hassan Abshir Farah, who was a strong candidate for the Puntland presidency, has withdrawn from the race. End summary. -------------- Puntland Parliament Seated -------------- ¶2. Puntland's Ratification Commission on December 30 announced the selection of the 66 new Members of Parliament. The Commission's chairman stated that each representative had the full support of his elders (reftel). A loose collective of opposition candidates protested the slate of MPs, claiming that all were allies of incumbent Puntland President Mohamud "Adde" Muse Hersi. The opposition reportedly threatened to hold demonstrations throughout Puntland, but those protests did not materialize. The new MPs were sworn in on January 1 at Garowe's Parliament House. The new MPs will elect a Speaker in the next few days, and on January 8 will elect the new President of Puntland. One contact stated that the new MPs will have a very busy week as each of the candidates for the Puntland presidency will work overtime to gain their favor (reftel). -------------- Yusuf Declares Himself Neutral, Meets Opposition -------------- ¶3. Recently-resigned Transitional Federal Government (TFG) President Abdullahi Yusuf, who himself had formerly been President of Puntland, spoke at the January 1 swearing-in ceremony, declaring himself neutral in the race. He hoped the MPs would select the best candidate, regardless of clan affiliation. In an apparent reference to the disputed outcome of an earlier election in which he had clashed with opponent Ali Jama before ultimately taking office, Yusuf urged all Puntlanders to work to avoid a repeat "of what happened in 2001." ¶4. Earlier in the week, Yusuf met with the opposition candidates, who reportedly attempted to elicit his election preferences. They also offered a long list of complaints about the new MPs. According to the opposition candidates, their six-hour meeting yielded a promise from Yusuf that he would remain neutral. The head of the opposition claimed Yusuf promised to "work as a man of peace." -------------- Incumbent Urges Fair Election -------------- ¶5. Current President Mohamud "Adde" Muse Hersi also spoke, congratulating the new MPs and thanking Yusuf for his participation in the ceremony. Muse added that the new MPs should work to move Puntland toward "full democracy." -------------- Abshir Drops Out -------------- ¶6. Hassan Abshir Farah, formerly Prime Minister of Somalia and a strong candidate in the current contest for President of Puntland, dropped out of the race on December 31. Farah cited the multitude of candidates, including several from his Nugal region, as his reason for withdrawing. However, contacts speculate that Abshir is positioning himself for a run at the presidency of the TFG. RANNEBERGER