Somalilandsun – During a meeting with visiting European Union and UK Diplomats’ in Hargeisa the opposition party of Wadani accused the government of machinations to delay the now obviously postponed Somaliland presidential and Parliamentary elections initially slated for mid 2015.
Below is the statement delivered to the visiting diplomats by Wadani
31 March, 2015
Somaliland President Declares Delay of The Presidential and Parliamentary Elections
1. The President’s Annual Speech on 28 March, 2015 did not tell much about the current outstanding and burning political, security, economic and livelihood issues facing the Somaliland society. On the election, the President declared that it cannot take place on its scheduled date, the 26 June, 2015, but did not offer any alternative date and has even deflected the responsibility of the delay to an unknown source. Furthermore, the President mentioned the need for a national consultation on the matter, but did not elaborate.
2. The WADDANI Party is committed to hold the Government accountable for the delay of the Elections, following the President’s repeated unequivocal declarations that he will hold them on time and that he won’t allow one more day to stay in office outside his mandate. To that end, WADDANI still stands by its commitment to the opposition coalition’s positions on the eventuality of election delay, if no consensus is agreement reached beforehand.
3. Following the NEC’s established timeline of the Voter Registration, WADDANI sees two scenarios for the earliest possible time to hold the election:
a) Scenario – 1: To hold the election within this year – in December 2015, which is feasible if all stakeholders cooperate?
b) Scenario -2: To take into consideration the controversial “six months” in the Registration Law. The date will then be in May 2016.
4. WADDANI considers any extension illegal without working out beforehand a consensus agreement between stakeholders, which is based on the technically feasible time to hold the elections on the earliest possible date.
5. WADDANI urges the NEC to come up with its long awaited election timeline urgently to clear the air for the election preparations.
6. Finally, we appreciate the international partners’ continued efforts to support NEC and to facilitate us move the process forward. WE believe an even more proactive role from your side is critical at this stage of the process to overcome the new challenges created by the delay of the elections.
Waddani National Party
Hargeisa , Somaliland
