By: Osman A.M.
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has announced of plans to officially launch registration of voters by September this year as the commission is in final lapse of rehearsing modalities of hiring registration clerks,
presiding & returning officers who shall steer the exercise at designated electoral demarcations together with procuring ballot kits in measures intended as warm up to high public expectations confidante of the independent body.
This was revealed by the Spokesperson of the electoral body Mr. Mohamed Hersi Gelle when he was hosted by the state owned TV SLNTV on Sunday in Hargeisa assuring the public that the commission has contracted an expert in electoral matters to among other functions oversee award of tender to the most eligible, experienced & affordable bidder in the recently advertised tenders to a larger extent ensuring the ballot equipments are procured & destine in the country before the registration & elections are due.
In response to the tests underwent by the electoral body in addition to momentum with which it is racing against time, Mr. Gelle reveals;
“The significance of voter registration exercise cannot be gainsaid as we have passed different cycles & times- from a time when no one would discuss registration of voters, times when no resolutions to jumpstart the exercise were adopted in our meeting to moments where no budgetary allocations were reserved for the exercise. Now we have finalized these arrangements in readiness of a process that would gauge our level of political maturity”.
Further revelations made by the spokesman underscored the electoral body’s financial capabilities courtesy of donor community funding credited to this project. When asked how the commission would guarantee presidential elections taking place on scheduled period Mr. Gelle proposed two scenarios that are likely to prevent or postpone the said elections taking place past the stipulated time to wit; one- technicalities arising due to voter registration not taking place on time coupled with delay caused by political bickering witnessed in instances where contenders are unprepared to face the electorates.
The electoral body mouthpiece illustrated the incumbency theory reflecting the level of democratic maturity in emerging African nations where Governments do not collaborate with electoral agencies to facilitate peaceful, transparent, free & fair elections so as to extend their mandate on reign via autocratic tendencies on top of opposition leaderships fond of pointing accusing fingers at the slightest Governments’ omissions with excuses ranging from voter bribery, rigging, misuse of public machinery during campaigns among list of flimsy grounds.
According to Mr. Gelle it is unlikely that Somaliland shall experience none of these compelling forces at the moment as the Government has safeguarded accounts of the independent electoral agency & extended the obligations required from it whereas the opposition forces are keen to deny ruling regime any extension of tenure whatsoever the reasons maybe.
