•Puntland, however, emphasised that it will continue being part of the state-building process in Somalia including the completion of the Constitution.
• The Puntland State, whose capital city is the city of Garoowe in the Nugal region, was declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998.
Image: SAID DENI/TWITTER
Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland State has announced plans to conduct its own affairs as an independent government until the Constitution is completed and a referendum held.
In a statement released on Monday, the Federal Member State in northeastern Somalia, however, emphasised that it will continue being part of the state-building process in Somalia including the completion of the Constitution.
"According to the Puntland Constitution, Article 4, paragraph 2, the Puntland Government will negotiate with the Federal Government on its own terms and interests until the completion of the country's federal process," Puntland said.
Somalia is a federal republic consisting of six federal states, including Somaliland, as well as the Banadir Regional Administration.
Article 142 of the Federal Constitution of Somalia gives each of the federal states the right to act independently pending the completion of the Federal Constitution of Somalia.
The independence status of the federal states will only cease upon completion of the Federal Constitution, which must be ratified by the federal states, and subjected to a referendum.
The Puntland State, whose capital city is the city of Garoowe in the Nugal region, was declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998.
The Federal Constitution provides that Puntland and other federal states will continue acting independently until after the provisional Constitution is harmonised and adopted by all states.
"Until such time that all the Federal Member States of Somalia are established and the adopted Federal Member State Constitutions are harmonised with the Somali Federal Constitution, the Federal Member States existing prior to the adoption of this provisional Constitution by a National Constituent Assembly shall retain and exercise powers by their own State Constitution," Article 142 of the provisional Constitution of Somalia states.
Pending the adoption of the Constitution, Puntland said it will continue negotiating with the Federal State of Somalia separately on power sharing, resources sharing, political agreements, security and international donations.
It said it will do all these, including supporting efforts to rebuild Somalia, while respecting the sovereignty of the country and its people.
Puntland stated that in order for Somalia to reach its full potential a number of issues which it's ready to support need to be prioritised.
These include liberating the country from al Shabaab and ISIS terrorist groups, resolving the Somaliland impasse, agreeing on the status of the capital of Somalia, reaching a political settlement on the system of governance and finalising the provisional Constitution.