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Puntland's four-day constitutional convention concluded on Wednesday (April 18th) with delegates voting to adopt the proposed constitution.

"The majority vote adopts the Puntland constitution and I hereby sign this document," said Mohamed Hassan Bare, chairman of the Puntland Electoral Commission. Out of 480 representatives, 472 representatives voted to approve the draft constitution, Somalia's Garowe Online reported.

Somalia's Transitional Federal Government Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdiwahab Ugaas Khalif called the convention's approval of the constitution a "monumental occasion".

Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Faroole closed the convention, praising the state for its democratic process. "I can confidently say that Puntland is out of the transitional period that we were in for 14 years and we have progressed into democratic government, a step in the right direction," he said. "I hereby declare that Puntland has moved on towards political parties and fair elections."

Faroole appealed to Somalis in other regions to follow Puntland's example of self-government under a federal Somalia. The Transitional Federal Government's mandate will end in August, with a new constitution expected to be approved by then.

The constitution must be approved by the Puntland Supreme Court before it is officially adopted.