As stakeholders within the International Community plan to visit Hargeisa to lodge objections with alleged arrangement to extend presidential and parliamentary terms.
By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun -The Somaliland democratization steering (monitoring) committee is expected to sent representatives to the Somaliland capital Hargeisa.
According to yet to be confirmed reports the Nairobi based committee which is made up of countries and bodies that support the country’s democratization process are set to visit Hargeisa to lodge their objection to rumored intent of postponing for two years the Somaliland presidential and parliamentary elections slated for the 28th of March 2017.
Media reports circulating in the country inform that the executive and legislature are in advances plans to delay the 2017, courtesy of a request that be submitted to the House of Representatives by president Silanyo asking for the separation of presidential and parliamentary elections thence a two year term extension for both the legislature and executive.
Geeks Afrika sources based in the Kenyan capital indicate that the main objective of the IC committee’s mission expected this coming week is to verify authenticity of the move and lodge objections at the same time during meetings with the president, political party leaders and National Election Commission.
“The Democratization process stakeholders are determined implement their threat of to withdraw election funding if the ballot is extended further” said our source
The exercise initially planned for June 2015 was postponed for two years thence effectively extending the term of presidential Silanyo who was elected in mid 2010 for two years.
As for the House of Representatives which was initially elected into office in 2005 for a term of five years, the 2015 two years extension added an extra ten year illegal tenure to their mandate not to mention, the on process one which shall see the current members of parliament occupy office for 14 consecutive years.
Though the administration, political party leaders and NEC commissioners have repeatedly assured of timeline elections come March 2017, sources indicate that the president is set to submit the request for separation of presidential and parliamentary ballots with the subsequent two year extension for both.
.In the meantime many citizens, learned in international relations inform that a further delay in elections and subsequent term extension for th presidency and legislature shall grievously harm the Somaliland democratization process as well as existing relations with the broader international community.
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