"The Puntland Government of Somalia: Proposals for Solutions to Challenges Surrounding State Building in Somalia"

The Puntland Government of Somalia recognizes the positive trajectory progress of the Somali Statebuilding process since the inception of the Federal mechanism in Mbagathi, Kenya, in 2004. The Government of Puntland has been instrumental in realizing a peaceful, united, and democratic Federal Government of Somalia. However, numerous serious concerns have been raised over time regarding the lack of political will and systematic delays in reaching negotiated political settlements that would foster the completion of the provisional Federal Constitution.

1. Political Challenges:

The central challenge is Mogadishu's consistent failure to implement political and legal agreements between Puntland and the Federal Government. The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) has recurrently circumvented its constitutional mandates, limiting the roles of the Federal Member States (FMS). On 27th May 2023, the FGS issued a non-inclusive statement intending to abolish the constitutional Government structure, risking both the Federal Government and the FMS to collapse.

2. The Puntland's Approach:

The Puntland Government considers the National Consultative Council (NCC) as an ad-hoc, non-legally binding platform ill-equipped to settle the national contentious issues. The platform has failed to present an inclusive state-building agenda, proposing unconstitutional and non-inclusive initiatives instead. Thus, the Puntland Government has decided to negotiate bilaterally with the Federal Government of Somalia.

3. Nation-wide Challenges:

In addition to grappling with political, security, financial, and technical challenges, the following issues have become integral challenges that Somalis are yet to fully resolve. The Puntland Government is thus providing its perspective on the solutions to these nation-wide challenges.

4. Proposed Solutions:

Solutions proposed by the Puntland Government include:

• Finalizing the Provisional Federal Constitution: Through a bilateral agreement between the Federal and Puntland Government, harmonizing the Federal and Puntland Constitutions, and a public referendum.
• Delineation of Governmental Powers: The FGS should exercise powers enshrined in the Provisional Federal Constitution through consultations while the powers not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution should be vested with the FMS.
• Distribution of National Resources and International Development Aid: Puntland government advocates for direct engagement of donors with the State Government and each Member State should negotiate with FGS separately for resource allocation.
• Administration of Revenue and National Fiscal policy: Puntland advocates for FMS to control the development, management, and utilization of economic infrastructures within their territories.
• The Issue of Somaliland: Puntland Government suggests resolving the issue through dialogue while maintaining the territorial integrity and unity of Somalia.
• Status of the Capital City: Puntland welcomes consensus agreement on the status of the capital city.
• Implementation of Federal Government Regulations: Regulations prepared without consultation should not be recognized until they are renegotiated and agreed upon.
• Implementation of Democratic Elections: The Government of Puntland proposes conducting democratic elections at all levels, with the respective FMS responsible for preparation, scheduling, implementation, and monitoring of elections.
• Building National Security Forces: Puntland calls for the establishment, training, and equipping of the Darawish and police forces at the FMS level.
• Conflict in Laascaanood: Puntland condemns the recent attacks by the Somaliland administration and commits to providing humanitarian assistance for the victims of the conflict.

Conclusion:

The Puntland Government of Somalia, recognizing the challenges facing the nation, is actively participating in dialogue and negotiations with the FGS and other stakeholders to facilitate a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future for the people of Somalia. Through its proposals, Puntland hopes to address the primary obstacles facing the nation and pave the way for a successful state-building process. It underscores the importance of inclusivity, dialogue, negotiation, and respect for constitutional provisions in achieving these aims.