Somalilandsun – As machinations to postpone March 2017 elections ensue in Hargeisa courtesy of separating presidential and parliamentary ballot thence extend tenure of the two branches of government Somaliland democratization stakeholders are raising concerns.
The plans to defer elections visibly seen as not only a ploy to separate presidential and legislature ballot are said to revolve around the desire to extend tenure of both president Silanyo and members in the House of Representatives for allegedly another two years.
Yet to be confirmed reports indicate that the tenure extension move deal involves the presidency submitting a request to parliament for separation of the the two hitherto separate exercises, which if approved shall subsequently entail a further extension of mandate.
“The said deal shall have as justification the contended equitable distribution of parliamentary seats on a regional level as well as pending amendments to the election laws” said a Geeska Afrika source..
But as the postpone elections momentum picks up in Hargeisa, the Somaliland democratization steering committee has shown displeasure and subsequently passed the same to the powers that might be, and more so the president himself.
Our source who sought anonymity adds that the democratization committee, which is a body composed of international friendly governments and bodies with a stake in the country’s elections have submitted a strongly worded objection to president Silanyo
“If the elections are postponed for whatever reasons then the repercussions shall be severe” the IC is reported to have informed the head of state.
The United Kingdom which is the largest election donor recently dispatched its envoy to Somalia Amb Harriet Mathews to Hargeisa where she held several meetings with both political party chiefs and the executive as pertains to the imperatives of a timely elections.
Stating that assessment indicate that the elections are technically feasible, the envoy who was briefing journalists at the Ambassador Hotel in Hargeisa , said the issue of contended allocation of seats should be resolved after and not before the ballot since any further delay would impinge negatively on the repute of Somaliland as a bastion of democracy
As it stands today, it is without doubt that if president Silanyo pursues and actually attains postponement of the March 2017 slated ballot on whatever flimsy excuses resulting in term extension then a major diplomatic fallout shall surely be on the menu too.
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