By M.A. Egge
HARGEISA-(Somalilandsun): The Minister of Interior Hon. Ali Mohammed Waran’adde has announced that the registration of persons for identification national indexes will kick off as from the 1st of February this year.
The minister made the announcements at a conference held for the administration department at Hotel Ambassador on Wednesday attended by regional governors and administrators, a cross section of mayors major major municipalities, members from both houses of Parliament and scores of other officials.
“This is the first time that a comprehensive personal identification national index that would determine real citizens from foreigners would register the populace,” said the minister.
Saying that the past twenty years had been hectic and “real and meaningful means of registration of national person’s identities is to start now”, hence added, “Therefore an identity that underscores our sovereignty will be now realized”.
While elaborating on the registration, the minister underpinned the fact that those who will be identified as real citizens are all above the age of 15 years hence;
1. Have their lineage as natives of Somaliland as of/by the 26th of June 1960
2. Can have dual citizenships.
3. All natives living in Diaspora have right of registering upon arrival.
Similarly, the new system will discern citizens from resident refugees (LAAJI) and non-resident (guest-foreigners)
Hon. Waran’adde further noted that those charged with the task of registering the people will be as stipulated in the legal regulations.
In essence, the job squarely falls under the directions of the administration department of the interior ministry with co-opted officials from the National Electoral Commission and political parties as ex-officious panel members of each registration station.
The governors and mayors in attendance expressed their happiness and readiness to fully support in seeing to it that the exercise is done smoothly and successfully.
Amongst them were Awdal, Gebiley and Sanaag regional governor and the Hargeisa mayor.
Citizens are usually registered for socio-economic, social political and comprehensive security purposes for/ and of the nation.
For instance, transparent and accountable in all transactions and electorate registration can never be full proof without a comprehensive national identification system in place; just as crime and associated vies can easily be managed when IDs are available in a national index personalization data bank.
The minister was flanked by both his security and administrative deputies.
