Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni rejected the Mogadishu presidency's proposed November 14–18 consultations and reiterated his call for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to step aside in an interview broadcast by Puntland State TV, according to regional reporting on October 31. Deni questioned whether the electoral commission and constitutional arrangements could command broad political agreement, intensifying the political disagreement he raised at Puntland's parliamentary opening on October 25.
The same report said Deni advocated an interim national council to guide the transition towards elections. These are proposals attributed to the Puntland president, not an agreed transitional mechanism or a constitutional decision. The president's October 26 invitation to political and civic groups remains an invitation, while the participants, mandate and rules of any alternative arrangement would need to be negotiated. Puntland Times separately reported Deni's resignation demand.
Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni called for national talks over the electoral and constitutional dispute when parliament opened its session on October 25, Horseed reported. He accused the Mogadishu government of undermining agreed federal arrangements and called for a negotiated political response.
His speech followed his return to Garowe two days earlier. It moved the immediate political focus from the foreign visit to the dispute over how national decisions are negotiated. The Mogadishu presidency separately invited political and civic groups to November 14–18 consultations on October 26. Participation in those proposed consultations remains to be agreed.
Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni returned to Garowe on October 23 after 41 days abroad, Puntland Post and Horseed Media reported. His arrival ends the journey that began on September 12 and brings him back to the regional capital.
Horseed reported that the itinerary included Kenya, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates, from which he travelled back to Puntland.
The parliamentary opening on October 25 supplied the next public political event after his return. The speech places Puntland’s position within the continuing national dispute over elections and constitutional changes.