Empirical knowledge accumulated from regional NEC results indicate that the three leading parties in the local council elections are Kulmiye, Wadani and UCID in that order
By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The three national political parties will be revealed on Boxing Day.
The much awaited line-up of the three new national political parties shall be made public by the Political Parties Registration and Verification Committee-PPR&VC at a local hotel on Boxing Day 2012.
According to Somalilandsun the PPR&VC which has received the final election results tally from the National Election Commission-NEC has finalized its computations thus an official announcement.
Despite seven political groups having contested local council elections that were held on 28th December 2012 only three shall be registered as national political parties as per the dictates of the constitution.
This constitutionally stipulation which is geared towards ensuring that the country is not polarized politically by clan or other anti-statehood divisions has been in practice since 2002 December when the first multi-party elections were first held.
In order to qualify as one of the registered national political parties, the registration of political groups is effected thus contest local council elections where the three leading groups are thence recognized and registered as the three national parties.
Once the three leading in local council elections are registered as national political parties they are then allowed by law to assimilate those that lost the opportunity as a prelude to contesting parliamentary and presidential elections.
During the first local council elections contested by contested by nine political groups UDUB, Kulmiye and UCID became the three official national parties and thus participated in the one parliamentary and two presidential elections held between 2003 and 2010. Despite being the oldest and former ruling party UDUB did not contest the November elections having withdrawn in protest against alleged differences with both PPR&VC and NEC.
Though the National Election Commission is yet to official announce the national results garnered by 
the seven parties that contested elections Empirical knowledge accumulated from regional NEC results indicate that the three leading parties are Kulmiye, Wadani and UCID in that order.
While it is imperative for the PPR&VC to settle the issue of which political groups are registered as national parties, the controversy surrounding the elections in relation to alleged vote rigging by NEC has not be solved despite promises which were precipitated by violent protests especially by supporters of Haqsoor.
Empirical knowledge accumulated from regional NEC results indicate that the three leading parties in the local council elections are Kulmiye, Wadani and UCID in that order
