By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – “To date not a single person has been registered twice as a voter”
This was informed by the National Election Commission-NEC during a status briefing to the government and political parties at the Somaliland presidency in Hargeisa.
Flanked by his deputy Abdirahman Sayli the President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo led the government team with ruling party Kulmiye represented by its chair Muse Behi while opposition parties had in attendance UCID leader Eng Feisal Ali Warabe and Wadani Secretary General Mohamed Abdilahi Ura’ade.
The five NEC commissioners led by their chairperson Abdiqadir Iman Warsame who presented the brief as pertains the three phases of voter registration in the country completed so far.
Terming the ongoing exercise as the most open and devoid of multiple applications courtesy of the biometric registration system being used in the country for the first time NEC informed that almost all citizens of voting age have been registered in Toghdeer-phase1, Awdal-phase2, Sahil, Hawd and Gabile-phase3.
“We hereby confirm that nobody has been denied registration as a voter and neither have any incidents of attempted double registration reported anywhere so far” said NEC
While the government promised to ensure that NEC is availed all necessary support towards its duty the political parties were unanimous in their confidence for the manner in which the electoral body is undertaking voter registration.
Commending NEC on diligent performance president Silanyo urged all concerned deter from obstructionist machinations thence a free and fair ballot.
The ongoing exercise is geared towards ensuring that eligible citizens are registered as voters’ thence participation in the Somaliland presidential and parliamentary elections slated for March 2017.
Though all the country’s democratization stakeholders are intent on seeing to it that not a single eligible person has been denied the opportunity of participating in the forthcoming elections, it is obvious that most in rural areas shall fail to register as voters due to the severe drought currently engulfing the country.
Copyright: Somalilandsun, 2016. www.somalilandsun.com
