LAASCAANOOD (KAAB TV) – The President of North East Somalia, Abdukadir Ahmed Aw-Ali (Firdhiye), has today launched voter registration in Laascaanood, calling on citizens to register and elect leaders qualified to govern.
Firdhiye urged all residents to participate in the registration process to align with other federal system administrations recognized by the Federal Government of Somalia.
“Our people must participate in the elections, organize themselves, and register fully. We must engage with the country’s other administrations. I have full confidence that the people of North East will make these national elections a success,” Firdhiye said.
However, the announcement comes amid controversy.
Last Saturday, Firdhiye himself was elected through an indirect vote process widely criticized for alleged bribery of newly elected representatives under the administration formed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
A KaaB TV investigation, based on interviews with MPs and other sources, revealed how millions of dollars in cash were used to bribe the regional MPs, who had been handpicked just last month by their clan elders.
Questions remain about how a one-person-one-vote election could be implemented with only eight months left in Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term.
Opposition alliances have rejected the process, and in many parts of the country, the terrorist group Al-Shabaab continues to exert full control.
This voter registration drive, while framed as a step toward civic engagement, raises concerns over transparency, legitimacy, and the influence of money in Puntland’s political process.