In Somalia, Puntland state president announces clan-based voting system for parliamentary elections, reversing universal suffrage plan

Somalia's semi-autonomous state of Puntland has rolled back plans to hold next year's parliamentary polls via a one-person one-vote system, opting instead to continue with a complex, clan-based ballot. In May, the oil-rich region staged its first direct polls in more than half a century during local council elections, a move hailed by international partners as historic. At the time, opposition politicians accused Puntland state president Said Abdullahi Deni of manipulating the election procedure and seeking to amend the constitution to enable him to extend his mandate, which is due to end in January. Deni said late [6 December] that parliamentary elections would be held on January 8 with clan representatives selecting 66 MPs. [...] "I am saddened to make this upsetting decision for the future of Puntland," Deni said, without elaborating on the reasons for the reversal. Opposition politicians welcomed the new directive, which is pending parliamentary approval.
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