Somaliland: The Political Wrangles and Zigzag Route to Failed Elections

0
Somaliland parliamentary elections postponed again

Somalilandsun:It now appears as if the recommendations by the elders’ mediation committee has been negated by the administration of president Muse Bihi while the two opposition parties of Wadani and UCID are in fully concurred with the two main decisions 1. To disband the current election body and 2, reinstate the immediate past one.

So after the elders’ proposal what transpired?

i. On 234rd December 2019 the president and two opposition parties chiefs held their first meeting at the presidency in Hargeisa where three points were concurred upon that

  1. The national political parties namely ruling Kulmiye and opposition Wadani and UCID shall work jointly to expedite parliamentary and local council polls.

  2. The political parties complete all outstanding issues constraining the holding of the delayed elections and

  3. On the 24th Dec 2019 the president met with NEC and discussions revolved around issues negating holding of the polls chief amongst them being incumbency of the commissioners disputed by opposition parties.

ii. On the 26th December 2019 president Bihi met Wadani and UCID party’schief s Abdirahman Irro and Feisal Ali Warabe respectively and in a joint post meeting press briefing the vice president Abdirahman Sayli and Wad anisIrro informed that the president has set 10th January 2020 as the day to disband the disputed NEC.

Somaliland political parties wrangling fail elections

Despite the happy front put by both VP Sayli and Irro at their joint presser sources reveal that President Bihi and Feisal Ali Warabe had a not conducive exchange of words thus a discernible building of animosity,

Despite the anticipation by the entire citizenry of Somaliland that President Bihi shall do the needful and disband the disputed electoral body thence final resolution of prevalent and long standing political wrangling the status quos to date remain, that is non implementation of the mediation elders suggestions.

It is therefore obvious that with the president refusing to adhere to his promise for the anticipated action of 10th January even after meeting with the two opposition party’s chiefs, claiming non constitutional dictates for disbanding a constitutional body, the political fracas of the recent past is now the only menu on the table.

For the people of Somaliland who have for the past two years been under the grip of political wrangling between the administration opposition parties worries are that the way forward is chaos of one way or another regardless of the frugality of their patience owing to the fact that the much acclaimed and locally brewed elders intervention to resolve disputes has been thrown to the wind by the political leadership.

 

Somaliland government justifes failure to disband NEC

Somaliland government justifes failure to disband NEC