By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The incoming Somaliland National Election Commission-NEC has assumed an office owing debts accrued from two consecutive administrations.
Following their swearing-in ceremony at the Somaliland Presidency on Saturday last the seven commissioners of the newly constituted NEC to the mantle of duties from outgoing predecessors at the commission’s offices in Hargeisa.
Upon the handing over by outgoing team that also including debts amounting to hundreds of thousands in dollars said to have been accrued during the current and past administrations the new commissioner’s first agenda was internal selection of leaders.
To this effect, the persons to rough honcho over the Somaliland Electoral process for the next five years are Commissioners Abdulqadir Iman Warsame as chairperson with Commissioners Mahmud Hasan Wa’ais and Saeed Ali Muse as deputy chair and spokespersons respectively.
After the refusal of the two opposition parties appointees to take any office the three leadership positions went to commissioners seconded by Guurti (Chair and Spokesperson) and the president (Deputy chair) while the lone women was relegated as usual for the opposite gender to the back benches.
Now that they have assumed office the NEC commissioners are expected to not only ameliorate Somalilanders as per the tarnished image of the body courtesy of outgoing team but to embark on the strenuous exercise of registering voters as a prelude to organizing and conducting presidential and parliamentary elections slated for mid-2015
The NEC Swearing-in and Ascension to office was made possible after the House of Representatives, the Somaliland lower chamber of parliament approved all the seven Commissioners at session with a quorum of 70 on the 29th November 2014
Meanwhile reports indicate that the seven commissioners are on their way to the Kenyan Capital, Nairobi, for polls management skills training facilitated by the Somaliland Democratization Committee which is a body that composed of several foreign governments and institution that support elections in the country.
During their one week stay in Nairobi the commissioners who are accompanied by senior officials from Inter-peace will also hold consultations with the Democratization geroup as well as other democratization stakeholders
The NEC Commissioners were appointed as per Constitutional stipulations and as follows
Presidential Appointees
I. Mohamed Jama Mohamed
II. Mahmud Jama Wa’ayes and
III. Ms Kaltun Sheikh Hasan Abdi
2. Guurti Appointees
I. Saeed Ali Muse
II. Abdulqadir Imaan Warsame
3. Opposition Parties Appointees
Abdirahman Osman Aden ‘Sagal’ – Wadani Party and
Abdifatah Ibrahim Hasan –UCID Party
