Somalilandsun: The more than a decade tenure of Somaliland members of parliament’s house of representatives comes to an official end on the 31st May 2021.
This follows the official broadcast of elections date by a presidential decree #12/022021 signed by head of state Musa Bihi in Hargeisa.
The president stated that his appended signature was facilitated by elders of Guurti, Somaliland’s upper chamber of parliament approval of the slated day as per constitutional dictates.
The date was proposed by the national elections commission-NEC and subsequently presented to the president who upon deliberations by his council of ministers forwarded it to Guurti.
Poignant of this promulgation by the president is twofold, that is a ear timeline the Oct postponed elections and the exit of current sitting members of parliament.
At the same time this exercise is another challenge to the nascent Somaliland democratization process since it shall be the first to host Parliamentary and local councils elections at the same time.
But most important to locals and foreign stakeholders as well is not only the obvious culmination to the long dispute over the elections resulting in serious acrimonies among the three national political parties, but ultimate end to tenure of current membership in the house of representatives.
While Somaliland has conducted three presidential and two local councils elections, between the onset of multiparty politics in 2001, the one and only poll for Parliament was undertaken in 2004.
That so, anticipation is now directed to performance of the three political parties of Ruling Kulmiye and Opposition UCID and Wadani in their quest for leadership of the national legislature.
As for Guurti’s expedited approval of the election date, praise was galore from President Bihi and the Wadani Party leader cum presumptive presidential candidate Abdirahman Irro who were both in concurrence as to the importance of the polls and the elders action.
