Garowe — The Transitional Puntland Electoral Commission (TPEC) issued a statement extending Puntland's political association registration deadline, by three weeks on Saturday, as Puntland continues the democratization process, Garowe Online reports.

After many meetings over the past weeks TPEC officials issued an extension on the political association registration period that expired on the 10th till December 31st.

The extension document was released from TPEC's main headquarters in Garowe capital of Puntland state of Somalia. The document cited one of the reasons that the period was extended was upon request from many civil society groups.

There are have been three political associations announced in Puntland and reports say that at least two more associations will be inaugurated in the coming days. Political associations must meet the requirements to qualify as a political association and further requirements to be a political party.

The democratization process in Puntland is well underway; the incumbent government announced Horseed political association last month, shortly after that Puntland Democratic Party was announced in Nairobi and UGUB was announced earlier this week in Puntland's commercial capital, Bossaso.

Puntland's transitional electoral commission said in the document, "after viewing the efforts of the people {Puntland residents} to create political associations," and the approaching deadline; it was in the best interest to extend the deadline further.

In the statement TPEC requested that all aspiring Puntland political associations meet the qualifications by the 31st deadline.

Political associations will have until February 10th to meet the requirements to qualify as a political party.

On September 11 2012, TPEC announced that political associations could be registered in Puntland.