By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The controversy surrounding the non-approval of 9 political as viable political groups has been resolved
According to the chief Justice Prof Yusuf Ismail Ali, the decision by Political Parties Registration and Verification Committee-PPR&VC rejecting the consortium of parties as viable political entities was according to procedures thus legal and binding.
This chief justice said this while delivering the high court’s judgment on the consortium’s case against the decision by the PPR&VC in which the political groups of UDHIS, NDB, and JAMHURIGA AND HORYAAL had in their case at the court termed as erroneous and undertaken to satisfy some political contingencies.
In their case, the political groups accused the PPR&VC of having acted unconstitutionally when it disqualified nine groups out of 15 following a nationwide verification exercise. The groups claim that they have documents and audiovisual evidence proving that they compiled with all verification requirements as established in article 14.
The conclusion of the case by High court is a clear indication that the political parties’ landscape pertaining to local council elections has finally been defined as pertains to local council elections.
At a glance, this seems so while a deep scan reveals tensions that might hit the ceiling owing to the vehement negation of the court’s decision by members of the consortium of parties who are firmly convinced that their elimination is fraudulent and thus unconstitutional.
The consortium of parties that was initial confident of an impartial judgment from the court has of late expressed its fears that the court will uphold the PPR&VC decision (which it did) since the entire country’s judiciary lacks independence thus manipulated from the presidency.
According to the chairperson of the Consortium of parties MS Fozia Haji Aden, the denial of political participation as an illegal act meted upon the five political groups that make up the consortium and to add salt to injury the high court has deemed it fit to prove its unworthiness.
The consortium of parties which is chaired by MS Fozia Haji Aden brings together five of the nine political groups namely of NDB, GURMAD, UDHIS, HORYAAL and JAMHURIYA which claim the PPR&VC disqualified them as viable local council elections contestants arguing that their groups were defeated before even elections were held.
Before the consortium submitted it, case to the high court Political tensions were in the zenith as the five political group defied government’s refusal to grant them license to demonstrate against the decision by the PPR&VC.
The demonstrations, which were rendered untenable by the government’s utilization of immense police, might end with a number of supporters and leaders injured and others arrested.
The quest of the consortium of parties to reverse the PPR&VC decision rejecting them as viable political entities thus devoid of capabilities to contest local council elections were doomed from the onset.
Once the National Election Commission-NEC received the list of new six new political groups and three national parties from the PPR&VC, commission activities clearly indicated that the consortium was never to be part of its plan for the local council elections slated for 28 November 2012.
With all said and done hopes are the consortium will embark on a cause that ensures they play a part in the country’s political process while protecting national cohesion and international image.
