View source for President of Puntland

{{Short description|Head of government and state of Puntland}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = President
| body = [[Puntland]]
| image = Puntland President Deni in Garowe, 2021 (cropped).jpg
| incumbent = [[Said Abdullahi Dani]]
| native_name = Madaxweynaha Dawladda Puntland
| flag = Flag of Puntland.svg
| incumbentsince = 8 January 2024
| termlength = Five years, renewable once
| first = [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed]]
| formation = August 01,1998
| appointer = [[Parliament of Puntland]]
| insignia = Puntland President.svg
| insigniacaption = Seal of the Puntland State House
| flagborder = yes
| flagcaption = Flag of Puntland
| department = [[Government of Puntland]]
| reports_to = The President
| residence = [[Presidential Palace, Garowe]]
| seat = [[Garowe]]
| website = {{URL|http://plstate.so}}
| deputy = [[Vice President of Puntland]]
| style = * His Excellency
* Honorable
| abbreviation = POTPOS
| constituting_instrument = [[Constitution of Puntland]]
}}
{{Politics of Puntland}}
The '''president of Puntland''' is the head of government and state of [[Puntland]]. The Presidency was elected by the [[House of Representatives of Puntland]] behind establishing the Puntland State in Somalia on August 1, 1998.

== History and establishment ==
In 1998, the state of Puntland declared its autonomy, and [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed]], who later served as the 8th President of Somalia, was chosen as the state's first president.

On 8 January 2024, President [[Said Abdullahi Deni]] was re-elected in the [[2024 Puntland presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-30 |title=Somalia: Said Abdullahi Deni re-elected in Puntland after tough contest |url=https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/puntland/somalia-said-abdullahi-deni-re-elected-in-puntland-after-tough-contest |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=Garowe Online |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= Ex-Somali Minister elected as new president of Puntland State |url=https://mareeg.com/somalia-puntland-elect-former-federal-minister-for-planning-and-international-cooperatio-saed-deni-in-garowe/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523030111/https://mareeg.com/somalia-puntland-elect-former-federal-minister-for-planning-and-international-cooperatio-saed-deni-in-garowe/|archivedate=2022-05-23|date=2019-01-08|website=mareeg.com}}</ref>

== Qualification eligibility ==
To be eligible as the president of Puntland, according to Article 78 of the [[Constitution of Puntland|Puntland Constitution]].<ref name=":0">https://puntlandparliament.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Dastuuurka-Puntland-min.pdf</ref> candidate must meet the following criteria:

*Be a native of Puntland.
*Be a practicing Muslim.
*Be mentally sound.
*Be older than age 40.
*Not be married to a foreigner.
*Have educational qualifications, experience, and leadership credentials.
*Have lived in Puntland for the past two years.
*Not have been convicted by a court of a major crime.

== Term of office ==
The president is selected for a term of five years. There are no term extensions for the president since [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed]]. That extension caused unrest and crisis in [[Puntland]] for three years. Since [[2005 Puntland presidential election]], the presidential election should be held on January 8th after the president has completed their term in office, according to the [[Constitution of Puntland]].<ref name=":0" /> The term of office of the incumbent president continues until the president-elect takes office. Upon assuming office, the president takes the following oath infront of the [[House of Representatives of Puntland]];<ref name=":0" />

{{Cquote
| quote = I swear in the name of Allah that I will perform my duties honestly and in the best interest of the Nation, People, and Religion, and that I will abide by the Constitution and the other Laws of the Country.
| source = [[Puntland Constitution]]
}}

== List ==
In 2001, the first president, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, whose term was expiring, was ousted from the capital by the opposition for refusing to step down. The opposition held a shir (council) in November and elected Jama Ali Jama as president. Therefore, Jama Ali Jama is sometimes considered the second president of Puntland.<ref name=Hoehne2015>{{Cite web |author=Markus Virgil Hoehne |date=2015 |url=https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Between%20Somaliland%20and%20Puntland%20by%20Markus%20Hoehne%20-%20RVI%20Contested%20Borderlands%20%282015%29%20%281%29.pdf|title=Between Somaliland and Puntland |access-date=2021-08-22|page=62}}</ref>

However, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed formed an army and, with Ethiopian support, expelled Jama Ali Jama from the capital in early 2002.<ref name=Hoehne2015/> Therefore, today, Somali media usually don't count Jama Ali Jama a Puntland president, and  report Mohamed Abdi Hashi as the second president.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Jubbaland oo ka hadashay geerida madaxweynihii 2aad ee Puntland |newspaper=garoweonline.com |date=2020-12-07 |url=https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/jubbaland-oo-ka-hadashay-geerida-madaxweynihii-2aad-ee-puntland |access-date=2022-09-18 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Madaxweynihii 2aad Ee Puntland Oo Geeriyooday |newspaper=horseedmedia.net |date=2020-07-12 |url=https://horseedmedia.net/madaxweyne-ku-xigeenkii-1aad-ee-puntland-oo-geeriyooday-337947 |access-date=2022-09-18 }}</ref>

Therefore, Abdirahman Farole is the "fourth president," according to a document issued in 2018 by the Puntland Bureau of Statistics.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Department of Statistics |date=2018 |url=https://pl.statistics.so/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Puntland-Facts-and-Figures-2017-Year-book-2018-1.pdf |title=PUNTLAND STATE OF SOMALIA - Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation |access-date=2021-09-12}}</ref> And the current president of Puntland, [[Said Deni]], writes in his Facebook page until 2023, "The 6th and Current President Of the Puntland State of Somalia", and from 2024, "The 7th and Current President Of the Puntland State of Somalia."<ref>{{Cite web |author=Said Abdullahi Deni |date= |url=https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceSaidDeni |title=H.E Said Abdullahi Deni facebook page |website= [[Facebook]]|access-date=2021-09-12}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br />{{small|(birth–death)}}
! colspan=3| Term of office
! colspan=2 rowspan=2| Party
! rowspan=2| Vice president
! rowspan=2| Election
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
| 1
| [[File:Abdullahi Jusuf Ahmed - September 2006.jpg|100px]]
| [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed]]<br />{{small|(1934–2012)}}
| 1 August 1998
| 30 June 2001
| {{ayd|1998|08|01|2001|06|30}}
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent (politician)}}|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| [[Mohamed Abdi Hashi]]<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=http://ussfs.org/sfs/timeline-for-puntland-constitutional-and-democratization-process/|title=Somali Family Services}}</ref>
| 1998
|- bgcolor="#e6e6aa"
| —
| [[File:Yusuf Haji Nur (cropped).jpg|frameless|100px]]
| [[Yusuf Haji Nur]]<br />{{small|(?–2019)<br />''acting''}}
| 1 July 2001
| 14 November 2001
| {{ayd|2001|07|01|2001|11|14}}
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent (politician)}}|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| ''Vacant''
| —
|- bgcolor="#e6e6aa"
| —
| 
| [[Jama Ali Jama]]<br />{{small|(born ?)<br />''acting''}}
| 14 November 2001
| 8 May 2002
| {{ayd|2001|11|14|2002|05|08}}
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent (politician)}}|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| [[Ahmad Mahmud Gunle]]<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1KBP7QbalX0C |title=Africa South of the Sahara 2003 |date=2003 |publisher=The Gresham Press |isbn=1-85743-131-6 |edition=32nd |location=Old Woking, Surrey |via=Google Books}}</ref>
| 2001
|-
| (1)
| [[File:Abdullahi Jusuf Ahmed - September 2006.jpg|100px]]
| [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed]]<br />{{small|(1934–2012)}}
| 8 May 2002
| 14 October 2004
| {{ayd|2002|05|08|2004|10|14}}
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent (politician)}}|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| [[Mohamed Abdi Hashi]]<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XeKmyMFO6AgC |title=Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Report Submitted to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives and Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate by the Department of State in Accordance with Sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as Amended |last=Department of State |date=September 2005 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Google Books}}</ref>
| —
|- 
| 2
| [[File:Mohamed Abdi Hashi.jpg|150x150px]]
| [[Mohamed Abdi Hashi]]<br />{{small|(1950s–2020)<br />'}}
| 14 October 2004
| 8 January 2005
| {{ayd|2004|10|14|2005|01|08}}
| bgcolor={{party color|United Somali Party}}|
| [[United Somali Party]]
| [[Mohamed Ali Yusuf]]<ref name="plstate_elections" />
| ~
|-
| 3
| [[File:Mohamed Muse Hersi (cropped).jpg|frameless|100px]]
| [[Mohamud Muse Hersi]]<br />{{small|(1937–2017)}}
| 8 January 2005
| 8 January 2009
| {{ayd|2005|01|08|2009|01|08}}
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent (politician)}}|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| [[Hassan Dahir Afqurac]]<ref name="auto1" /><ref name="plstate_elections">{{cite web |title=Puntland State of Somalia – Elections and Administrative Structure |url=http://plstate.so/about/ |website=plstate.so |publisher=Puntland State}}</ref>
| [[2005 Puntland presidential election|2005]]
|-
| 4
| [[File:UNPOS CONFERENCE SEPT 5th and 6th, Mogadishu Somalia (6129792848) (cropped).jpg|frameless|100px]]
| [[Abdirahman Farole]]<br />{{small|(born 1945)}}
| 8 January 2009
| 8 January 2014
| {{ayd|2009|01|08|2014|01|08}}
| bgcolor=#2F9800|
| [[Horseed (political party)|Horseed]]
| [[Abdisamad Ali Shire]]<ref name="auto">{{Cite report |url=https://www.interpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2015_06_01_Puntlands_Political_Transformation.pdf |title=Puntland's Political Transformation: Taking the First Steps toward Democratic Elections |last1=Puntland Development Research Center |last2=Interpeace Regional Office for Eastern and Central Africa |date=June 2015 |location=Garowe |isbn=978-9966-1665-3-1}}</ref>
| [[2009 Puntland presidential election|2009]]
|-
| 5
| [[File:2015 03 03 Puntand President visits Kismayo-8 (16528331268) (cropped).jpg|frameless|100px]]
| [[Abdiweli Gaas]]<br />{{small|(born 1963)}}
| 8 January 2014
| 8 January 2019
| {{ayd|2014|01|08|2019|01|08}}
| bgcolor=#4D7FBB|
| [[Ururka Dadka Puntland|UDAD]]
| [[Abdihakim Amey]]<ref name="auto" />
| [[2014 Puntland presidential election|2014]]
|-
| rowspan=2| 6
| rowspan=2| [[File:Said Abdullahi Dani (2019).jpg|frameless|100px]]
| rowspan=2| [[Said Deni]]<br />{{small|(1967–)}}
| rowspan=2| 8 January 2019
| rowspan=2| ''Incumbent''
| rowspan=2| {{ayd|2019|01|08}}
| rowspan=2 bgcolor=#322D87 |
| rowspan=2| [[Kaah Political Association|Kaah]]
| [[Ahmed Elmi Osman]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 9, 2019 |title=Somalia: UN Congratulates Puntland Region's Newly-Elected President|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/01/1030082 |access-date=2022-07-30 |website=UN News}}</ref>
| [[2019 Puntland presidential election|2019]]
|-

| [[Ilyas Osman Lugator]]
| [[2024 Puntland presidential election|2024]]
|}

== Latest election ==
{{Main|2024 Puntland presidential election}}
On January 8, 2024, [[Said Abdullahi Deni]], the incumbent President of Puntland, was re-elected following an election held in [[Garoowe]], the capital of Puntland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deni oo mar kale loo doortay madaxweynaha Puntland |url=https://www.voasomali.com/amp/7430634.html |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=www.voasomali.com}}</ref> Deni was declared as the winner in the third round of the election, securing 45 votes, while [[Guled Salah Barre]], the runner-up candidate, received 21 votes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-30 |title=Siciid Deni oo markale loo doortay Madaxweynaha Puntland |url=https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/puntland/siciid-deni-oo-markale-loo-doortay-madaxweynaha-puntland |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Garowe Online |language=en}}</ref> Deni went on to become the first President of Puntland to be re-elected and sworn in, and he should have held office for another five-year term.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deni oo mar kale loo doortay madaxweynaha Puntland |url=https://www.voasomali.com/amp/7430634.html |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=www.voasomali.com}}</ref>

{{Election results
|cand1=[[Said Abdullahi Deni]]|party1=[[Kaah Political Association|Kaah]]|votes1=35|votes1_2=40|votes1_3=45
|cand2=[[Guled Salah Barre]]|party2=Independent|votes2=9|votes2_2=17|votes2_3=21
|cand3=[[Abshir Omar Huruse]]|party3=[[Mideeye]]|votes3=8|votes3_2=9
|cand4=Hassan Shire Abgal|votes4=5
|cand5=[[Ahmed Isse Awad]]|votes5=4
|cand6=[[Asad Osman Abdullahi]]|votes6=3
|cand7=Mohamed Abdirahman Farole|votes7=2
|source=[https://www.caasimada.net/deni-iyo-laba-musharrax-oo-kale-oo-usoo-gudbay-wareegay-labaad-ee-doorashada/ Caasimada], [https://www.caasimada.net/sababta-deni-markale-u-soo-laabtay-iyo-ceebtii-aaran-jaan-iyo-df-ka-raacday-doorashada/ Caasimada] [https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/puntland/somalia-said-abdullahi-deni-re-elected-in-puntland-after-tough-contest Garowe Online]
|party6=[[Mideeye]]|party4=[[Kaah Political Association|Kaah]]|party7=[[Horseed (political party)|Horseed]]|party5=Independent}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Presidents of Puntland}}
{{Heads of state and government of Africa}}

[[Category:Presidents of Puntland| ]]
[[Category:1998 establishments in Somalia]]
[[Category:Government of Puntland]]
[[Category:Puntland]]