Somalia: Puntland President urged to resign over ‘leadership incompetence’

GAROWE, Puntland- The President of Somalia’s northeastern region of Puntland, Abdiwali Mohamed Ali “Gaas” has been accused of failure of leadership and the responsibility he was sworn-in, Garowe Online reports

The traditional elders, intellectuals and scholars of Obokar Isse sub-clan who held two-week meeting in Garowe, that was wrapped up on Monday have strongly criticized the current Puntland administration led by President Ali.

They have urged the state President to step down immediately due to his inability to handle the crisis in Puntland, including politics, economy and justice, which has dragged on for years since taking office in January, 2014.

"President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali "Gaas" has lost the confidence of the people since he disregarded the power-share system and the communities agreement Puntland was established in 1998,"  read a statement by the elders.

Ali's administration under fire for allegations of printing counterfeit bank notes, that led to high inflation that hugely effected living cost of the local people in Puntland in particular and Somalia as a whole.

The elders said that the President of Puntland has failed, due to pay soldiers for months, civil servants, and form the Constitutional Court, and the security of the region's shoreline and securing the state boundaries.

The accusation against the current Puntland government comes amid raising concerns on security as the region is under security threats from the Al Qaida-linked Al shabaab and pro-Islamic state militants.

The incumbent President's five-year tenure is ending in less than one and a half years, and expected that state’s 66-seats-chamber will pick the next President in January 2019.

GAROWEONLINE