Puntland has said it was not part of the approval of the Somali Energy Law and the establishment of the National Energy Authority (NEA), saying it was in violation of the Federal Constitution and that of Puntland.
An official statement from the Puntland Ministry of Energy, Minerals & Water stated that the law and the new agency were approved without full consultation and federal procedures.
The ministry pointed to several provisions of the Transitional Constitution, such as Articles 50, 54, 79, 111 and 142, which it said were violated during the drafting of the Energy Law and the establishment of the NEA.
Puntland said the issue specifically concerns energy management, which it sees as a power of the regional administrations, citing the constitutional power-sharing provisions.
Puntland argued that it had no role in the preparation or approval of the new law, which it said could damage the federal system and the relationship between the central government and the regional administrations.
Meanwhile, Puntland accused the federal government of not including consultations on the role of regional administrations in the NEA, and of not considering the special status granted to Puntland and Somaliland by Article 142 of the constitution.
Puntland’s position
The Puntland Ministry of Energy stated in its letter three points of the Puntland Government’s official decision:
That the Somali Energy Law cannot be implemented in Puntland areas.
That the National Energy Agency cannot operate in Puntland.
That there is a need for negotiations to define Puntland’s role and resolve the dispute over the legislative process.
Finally, Puntland called on the Federal Government to avoid politicizing essential services, and to respect the federal process and cooperation between the two parties. The ministry said it was ready for an open dialogue based on the country’s constitution.
