Somalilandsun: The complete 2021 record of the registered voters in Somaliland detailing the polling station, district, regional and nationwide tally is to be released soon.
This is according to National Electoral Commission (NEC) upon launching the final exercise to update the voter register that targets voters registered in 2016 and wishing to change polling station or replace lost cards served.
The electoral body flagged off the operation from its headquarters in Hargeisa from where registration staff, vehicles and equipment was dispatched to Marodi-jeex, Togdeer, Sanaag, Sahil, Sool and Awdal regions
According to NEC which has already completed its 2021 registration of new voters once the current exercise culminates a clear record of all voters who can legally participate in the parliamentary and local councils elections slated for 31st May this year shall be availed.
In Borama where he supervised start of the exercise the chairman of NEC commissioner Abdirashid Mohamed Ali (Riyo-Raac) detailed the requirements for change of polling station and lost card replacement as
- Change of polling station
- Present oneself at the new polling station of intent
- Fill in the on-site application form
- Present voter card and national ID card and
- Provide a valid reason for desired change of polling station
- Lost Card Replacement
- Appear at the 2016 voter registration centre
- Fill in the on-site application form and
- Prove loss of voter card by swearing
In his briefing commissioner Abdirashid Rio-RAAC said the ten days exercise which starts on the 15th February shall be implemented in 120 registrations Centre’s nationwide as he thanked both the government and political parties for apt cooperation that has ensued with ease of updating the Somaliland voter registration.
The election of 2021 are expected to see both an increase in the number of voters as well as polling stations having increased the electoral districts to 23 from the 19 of 2017 presidential elections.
Article 22 (2) of the Somaliland Constitution guarantees the rights of the citizens to vote and to be elected by fulfilling the conditions and requirements obliged by other state’s laws and regulations
During the 2017 presidential elections in Somaliland which is the first country in the world to use the high tech Iris biometric voting system there were 704,089 ( 873,331-2016) registered voters and 1,642 polling stations in the 21 constituencies across, her six regions.
Since the constitution allows only three national political parties at any given time, currently ruling Kulmiye and opposition Wadani and UCID of is each expected to filed a candidate in each of 23 local councils and six parliamentary electoral regions thus
‘A total of 747 candidates in the local council elections and 246 vying for the 82 parliamentary seats at the national legislature, and while Commissioner Riyo Raac says there will be an increase in both number of voters and polling stations .
“Once we, NEC, complete updating the voter register it is all systems go for the May 31st 2021 parliamentary and local councils election in Somaliland” says a very optimistic electoral body chief
