• WADDANI Chairman: ‘Grievances of the community in the eastern regions can only be resolved through holding of free and fair elections’
By: Mahmoud H. Qodah
Hargeisa (Somalilandsun) –The Chairman of House of Representatives and WADANI Opposition party Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi (Irro) called for the talks with Somalia to be withheld until free and fair elections are to be held in the country. He similarly warned of making any possible extension for the incumbent government’s tenure from the House of Elders and government after 26 June.
“The Somaliland Presidency should Bear the Responsibility and Negative Consequences of the Delay of the Elections.
“WADDANI party Position endeavors to make it clear to the Somaliland people and to the international partners that pro-election stakeholders have worked hard for the last two years, to achieve the goal of holding 26 June, 2015 elections on time, however, the present Government has consistently undermined these efforts.”
“If all the above stakeholders fully cooperated to prepare for the June 2015 Somaliland election, there is no doubt that they would achieve the goal of holding it on time on 26 June 2015. However, it was public knowledge in Somaliland, even at that early stage of the process, that the Government has taken a contrary political decision, which is to get a two-year extension, before holding any election and therefore to fail the elections technically, by killing time towards its preparation.
“Initially they thought if the Government neglects its role to move the process of preparing for the elections, then the political parties will start agitating when it is too late as used to happen in President Rayale’s time. However, this time, the pro-election stakeholder did not wait for the Government to move the preparation process, but they themselves took action, mobilized themselves under the banner of late NEC and in close cooperation with the SDSC, and took charge to move forward the election preparation process step by step. The Government, represented by the Ministry of Interior, obstructed that process on every step taken. Therefore, if the Somaliland elections do not happen on time, on 26 June 2015, it is not because of a technical delay, but because of a conscious political decision from the present government with the aim to get an “extension” of two or more years to be provided by the Guurti (House of Elders).”
The Chairman at the same time accused government of shifting the direction of talks after it country’s opposition parties are excluded and ignored from participating in the negotiation between Somaliland and Somalia.
“Talks with Somalia are started after we had a national consultation, and from that day we have been united for the talks and its directions, but later government decided to ignore and exclude opposition parts from the ongoing talks and currently there are doubts arising as the talks become fruitless and not in favor for Somaliland’s independence. So we are urging the talks with Somalia must be withheld.”
Mr. Irro expressing about the complaints of the eastern regions he noted, “Grievances of the community in the eastern regions can only be solved through holding of free and fair elections. Only democratically elected and government capable of solving these problem can be got only through free and fair elections.”
By: Mahmamoud H. Qodah
mahqodax@gmail.com
