Garowe(Mogadishu24)-The Deputy President of the Puntland Regional State, Ahmed Osman Karash, has on Monday strongly criticized President Said Abdullahi Deni, labelling him a “dictator.”

In a Facebook post, Karash expressed concern over what he perceives as Deni’s autocratic tendencies and his reliance on the counsel of influential figures, a strategy that, according to him, has repeatedly led to failure.

“The President has a tendency of being a dictator and does not heed the advice of influential people in decision-making process, this approach has consistently ended in failure,” said the Deputy President in a Facebook post.

The deputy president urged intellectuals and various sections of the Puntland community to remain vigilant, warning that if President Deni takes unilateral actions that impact the nation’s destiny, he alone should shoulder the consequences.

“I want to make it clear to the intellectuals and various segments of the Puntland community that if he takes a step not in line with the consensus, he will face the consequences,” he added.

The Puntland House of Representatives faced a setback today as it failed to reach a decision on the agenda related to the rejection of the extension of the Parliament term by the Constitutional Court.

The proposal for a one-year extension, put forward by the SSC-Khatumo committee, caused fresh controversy and intensified conflicts within the region.

This comes within five days after Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni announced that Puntland would return to the clan-based voting system on January 8, 2024, following mounting pressure from the opposition and elders’ intervention regarding the disputed one-person-one-vote elections system.

The clan-based election system involves the selection of 66 MPs by clan elders to represent them in the House of Representatives, with these Members of Parliament subsequently electing the president.