# President 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.

## Qualification eligibility

To be eligible as the president of Puntland, according to Article 78 of the Puntland Constitution. 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 first president, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was mandated to serve three years in office by the early Puntland provisional charter.
After yusuf term expired in 2001, Puntland House of Representatives extended the executive (president and vice president) term.
That extension caused Puntland crisis (2001–2003). There have been no term extensions for the presidency since Abdullahi Yusuf.
Since then 2005 Puntland presidential election, the presidential election should be held on January 8th after the president and vice president has completed their term in office, according to the Constitution of Puntland.
After April 18, 2012, Puntland constitution was ratified and was effective March 4, 2012, the president and vice president are should be held office for a duration of five years. The term of office of the incumbent president continues until the president-elect takes office. Upon assuming office, the president takes the following oath in front of the House of Representatives of Puntland;
   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.

## 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.
However, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed formed an army and, with Ethiopian support, expelled Jama Ali Jama from the capital in early 2002. Therefore, today, Somali media usually don't count Jama Ali Jama a Puntland president, and report Mohamed Abdi Hashi as the second president.
Therefore, Abdirahman Farole is the "fourth president," according to a document issued in 2018 by the Puntland Bureau of Statistics. 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."
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Vice president | Election |
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Party | Vice president | Election |
| 1 | | Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (1934–2012) | 1 August 1998 | 30 June 2001 | 2 years, 333 days | | Independent | Mohamed Abdi Hashi | 1998 |
| — | | Yusuf Haji Nur (?–2019) acting | 1 July 2001 | 14 November 2001 | 136 days | | Independent | Vacant | — |
| — | | Jama Ali Jama (born ?) acting | 14 November 2001 | 8 May 2002 | 175 days | | Independent | Ahmad Mahmud Gunle | 2001 |
| (1) | | Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (1934–2012) | 8 May 2002 | 14 October 2004 | 2 years, 159 days | | Independent | Mohamed Abdi Hashi | — |
| 2 | | Mohamed Abdi Hashi (1950s–2020) ' | 14 October 2004 | 8 January 2005 | 86 days | | United Somali Party | Mohamed Ali Yusuf | ~ |
| 3 | | Mohamud Muse Hersi (1937–2017) | 8 January 2005 | 8 January 2009 | 4 years, 0 days | | Independent | Hassan Dahir Afqurac | 2005 |
| 4 | | Abdirahman Farole (born 1945) | 8 January 2009 | 8 January 2014 | 5 years, 0 days | | Horseed | Abdisamad Ali Shire | 2009 |
| 5 | | Abdiweli Gaas (born 1963) | 8 January 2014 | 8 January 2019 | 5 years, 0 days | | UDAD | Abdihakim Amey | 2014 |
| 6 | | Said Abdullahi Deni (1967–) | 8 January 2019 | Incumbent | 6 years, 54 days | | Kaah | Ahmed Elmi Osman | 2019 |
| 6 | | Said Abdullahi Deni (1967–) | 8 January 2019 | Incumbent | 6 years, 54 days | | Kaah | Ilyas Osman Lugator | 2024 |

## Latest 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. 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. 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.
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| | Said Abdullahi Deni | Kaah | 35 | 53.03 | 40 | 60.61 | 45 | 68.18 |
| | Guled Salah Barre | Independent | 9 | 13.64 | 17 | 25.76 | 21 | 31.82 |
| | Abshir Omar Huruse | Mideeye | 8 | 12.12 | 9 | 13.64 | | |
| | Hassan Shire Abgal | Kaah | 5 | 7.58 | | | | |
| | Ahmed Isse Awad | Independent | 4 | 6.06 | | | | |
| | Asad Osman Abdullahi | Mideeye | 3 | 4.55 | | | | |
| | Mohamed Abdirahman Farole | Horseed | 2 | 3.03 | | | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 66 | 100.00 | 66 | 100.00 | 66 | 100.00 |
| Source: Caasimada, Caasimada Garowe Online |||||||||