By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – After one month of suspension voter registration is to resume in Somaliland from 30th April 2016.
This was revealed in a press statement released by the National Election commission-NEC which stated that immediately the one month suspension ends residents of Maroodi-jeeh (Hargeisa) shall be the next to be register as voters.
Below is a translation of the Somali language press statement released in Hargeisa by NEC
Quote – As you are aware Voter registration in Somaliland was put on hold for month following severe droughts that engulfed the country mostly Western and Eastern regions where pastoralists lost most of their stocks and farmers their crops.
Praises be to Allah this situation has changed with the country receiving fair quantities of rains.
To this effect the National Election commission hereby informs that voter registration shall begin in Maroodi-jeeh region, both Hargeisa and Salahley, from 30th April to 27th May 2016 from 6 am.
In pursuit of this, NEC shall hold a voter resumption ceremony in Hargeisa on the 28th April followed by the dispatch of registration personnel to their various stations of work.
NEC remains hopeful that registration shall be conducted in a peaceful and organized manner Allah willing-Unquote
Before suspension voter registration that paves way for presidential and parliamentary elections slated for March 2017 had been completed in Toghdeer, Awdal and Sahil Regions respectively.
Meanwhile the voter registration law in the country was amended by legislators at the Somaliland House of Representatives thus allowing NEC to establish a register anytime before election dates as opposed to the eerier clause that dictated a register six months before elections.
