Somaliland: Consortium of Parties Disparage Fixing of Election Dates

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The five Judge High court bench whose verdict is awaitedBy: Yusuf M Hasan

HARGEISA ((Somalilandsun) – The 28th November local council election date has been termed as untenable and politically motivated.

This has been termed by four political groups that have a case awaiting judgment at the high court against the Political Parties Registration and Verification Committee.

The four political groups of UDHIS, NDB, JAMHURIGA and HORYAL whose case against their disqualification as viable political entities by the PPR&VC is pending judgment of a five judge bench that heard their grievances claim that political motives are behind the fixing of council election dates by the National /election commission-NEC.

a statement signed by the consortium of parties that represents the four groups plus GURMAD claim that the fixing of the election date by NEC and subsequent approval thus making it legal by the president is a flagrant disregard of the judicial system as well as manipulation of the high court’s independence.

In their case the political groups accuse the PPR&VC of having acted unconstitutionally when it disqualified 9 groups out of 15 following a nationwide verification exercise. The groups claim that they have documentary and audio visual evidence proving that they compiled with all verification requirements as established in article 14 of political groups registration act.

In their current statement in which UDHIS, NDB, JAMHURIGA and HORYAL political groups claim they are legally entitled to contest the forthcoming local council elections further accuse NEC of fixing elections dates and the president of approval thus satisfy political strategies of the government.

The full statement by the consortium of parties as published by Jamhuuriya media group read:

“We members of UDHIS, NDB, JAMHURIGA and HORYAL inform citizens of Somaliland that we are legally registered political groups that successfully fulfilled all verification requirements as established in Article 14 section 4 of the political parties registration act.

Following the fulfillment of the registration requirements our groups were issued with temporary registration certificates by the PPR&VC in order to facilitate legal undertaking of campaigns related to participation in local council elections as per the dictates of section 5 of Article 14.

To this effect we the four members of the consortium of parties have duly fulfilled all Article 14 requirements and it is the PPR&VC that has so far failed to fulfill its part since the committee made decisions based technicalities rather than legalities established by the article in order to endorse concerted government, parliament and Election commission political contingencies.

The decision by the PPR&VC to disqualify 9 and approve 6 of the fifteen then newly registered political groups was taken after a meeting the committee held at Mansoor hotel in Hargeisa with clear instruction from the presidency, NEC and parliament’s house of representatives to the effect that “the political groups are many thus on approve 6 and disqualify the rest without regard to their having fulfilled article 14 requirements”

Despite having made an illegal decision that disenfranchised almost a million voters the PPR&VC went on to add salt to injury by announcing that there were no avenues for appealing because its decision was final thus irrevocable.

The Chief Justice Yusuf Ismail Ali negated the PPR&VC’s arrogance by informing that the disqualified political had a right to appeal if they so wished. He stressed on the fact that the judiciary was capable of judging fairly since it was independent thus free to decide without government interference.

Having submitted our case to the high court and subsequent hearing by a five bench of five judges the chief justice informed that verdict will be made immediately after the EID Ul-Fitr holiday.

It is therefore apparently clear that neither article 14 nor the judiciary are under consideration by the powers that might be since NEC has already fixed an election court that is now legal following presidential approval as well as the election body giving their approved political groups deadlines (15th Sept-28th Oct 2012) for submitting lists of their candidates while a related case is pending high court judgment.

In lieu of all the above facts pertaining to illegal and unconstitutional misdemeanor perpetrated against our groups by the government while utilizing the PPR&VC and NEC thus disqualification, we members of the consortium of parties though determined to pursue our rights will adhere the decision reached by the high court.

See our archives For related articles posted by SLsun

By: Yusuf M Hasan

HARGEISA ((Somalilandsun) – The 28th November local council election date has been termed as untenable and politically motivated.

This has been termed by four political groups that have a case awaiting judgment at the high court against the Political Parties Registration and Verification Committee.

The four political groups of UDHIS, NDB, JAMHURIGA and HORYAL whose case against their disqualification as viable political entities by the PPR&VC is pending judgment of a five judge bench that heard their grievances claim that political motives are behind the fixing of council election dates by the National /election commission-NEC.

a statement signed by the consortium of parties that represents the four groups plus GURMAD claim that the fixing of the election date by NEC and subsequent approval thus making it legal by the president is a flagrant disregard of the judicial system as well as manipulation of the high court’s independence.

In their case the political groups accuse the PPR&VC of having acted unconstitutionally when it disqualified 9 groups out of 15 following a nationwide verification exercise. The groups claim that they have documentary and audio visual evidence proving that they compiled with all verification requirements as established in article 14 of political groups registration act.

In their current statement in which UDHIS, NDB, JAMHURIGA and HORYAL political groups claim they are legally entitled to contest the forthcoming local council elections further accuse NEC of fixing elections dates and the president of approval thus satisfy political strategies of the government.

The full statement by the consortium of parties as published by Jamhuuriya media group read:

“We members of UDHIS, NDB, JAMHURIGA and HORYAL inform citizens of Somaliland that we are legally registered political groups that successfully fulfilled all verification requirements as established in Article 14 section 4 of the political parties registration act.

Following the fulfillment of the registration requirements our groups were issued with temporary registration certificates by the PPR&VC in order to facilitate legal undertaking of campaigns related to participation in local council elections as per the dictates of section 5 of Article 14.

To this effect we the four members of the consortium of parties have duly fulfilled all Article 14 requirements and it is the PPR&VC that has so far failed to fulfill its part since the committee made decisions based technicalities rather than legalities established by the article in order to endorse concerted government, parliament and Election commission political contingencies.

The decision by the PPR&VC to disqualify 9 and approve 6 of the fifteen then newly registered political groups was taken after a meeting the committee held at Mansoor hotel in Hargeisa with clear instruction from the presidency, NEC and parliament’s house of representatives to the effect that “the political groups are many thus on approve 6 and disqualify the rest without regard to their having fulfilled article 14 requirements”

Despite having made an illegal decision that disenfranchised almost a million voters the PPR&VC went on to add salt to injury by announcing that there were no avenues for appealing because its decision was final thus irrevocable.

The Chief Justice Yusuf Ismail Ali negated the PPR&VC’s arrogance by informing that the disqualified political had a right to appeal if they so wished. He stressed on the fact that the judiciary was capable of judging fairly since it was independent thus free to decide without government interference.

Having submitted our case to the high court and subsequent hearing by a five bench of five judges the chief justice informed that verdict will be made immediately after the EID Ul-Fitr holiday.

It is therefore apparently clear that neither article 14 nor the judiciary are under consideration by the powers that might be since NEC has already fixed an election court that is now legal following presidential approval as well as the election body giving their approved political groups deadlines (15th Sept-28th Oct 2012) for submitting lists of their candidates while a related case is pending high court judgment.

In lieu of all the above facts pertaining to illegal and unconstitutional misdemeanor perpetrated against our groups by the government while utilizing the PPR&VC and NEC thus disqualification, we members of the consortium of parties though determined to pursue our rights will adhere the decision reached by the high court.

See our archives For related articles posted by SLsun