By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Somaliland should establish a government of national unity by December 2014 if symptoms of readiness for presidential and parliamentary elections slated for mid 2015 are not visible.
This call was made after joint opposition political parties (UCID and Wadani) and the forum for Consultation and Rectification meeting held at Ambassador Hotel in Hargeisa where they also informed of their fears of the government failing to undertake elections on time.
Addressing a post meeting press conference UCID party chairman Eng Faisal Ali Warabe, , Wadani chairman and presidential candidate Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro and Forum for Consultation and Rectification chief Hassan Gurre announced their intent for a unity government which they attributed to unlikeness of the ruling party to hold credible parliamentary and presidential elections on time.
“Given the improving security situation, we hereby declare that Somaliland is an environment conducive for parliamentary and presidential elections by June 26, 2015,” opposition said in a press statement. “In accordance with memorandum of understanding signed by the ruling party, UCID, Wadani and electoral commission, the much-needed step is the registration of voters”.
Meanwhile, Consultation and Rectification Forum spokesman Ibrahim Dhegaweyne noted that Electoral Commission of Somaliland (ECS) matters most by now, calling on the government to timely join political associations: “The mandate of the current elections commission will expire on October 29, therefore for political actors to ensure the credibility and neutrality of new committee members the government in regard to the prior consent of stakeholders should work on the body’s nomination in August and September”.
“On December 31, 2014 if we realize that elections will not be held on proper date, we will install interim government,” the opposition parties concluded in press statement.
Somaliland, located in northwestern Somalia declared its independence from the rest of the country as de facto sovereign state in 1991 but it has not been recognized internationally yet.
