Opposition Parties Boycott Parliament Approval of New SLNEC Members

Hargeisa – Somaliland.com – Opposition parties in Somaliland have boycotted the parliament approval of six out of seven members of the state’s new electoral commission.

Waddani and UCID said the commissioners were forcefully approved by the house of the representatives.

They have jointly accused Kulmiye, the governing party of derailing the democratization process in Somaliland.

The parties in a press conference held at the official residence of the party leader said the state does not intend to hold free and fair parliament and local council polls.

In a statement read to the press by UCID’s 2017 Deputy Presidential Candidate, Ahmed Abdi Muse Abyan, the parties said the gov’t and Kulmiye ruling party have killed Somaliland democracy.

The two parties namely UCID and Wadani made the remarks alleged that the government has clearly violated the constitution and the laws pertaining to the selection and approval of NEC members.

Their statement came hours after the parliament passed the NEC members with an overwhelming majority.

The two parties revealed that the government has failed to honor its promises in the recent agreement whereby the EU mediation efforts brokered the parties to reach the landmark accord.

They have said that the government and its ruling party have used the taxes to buy votes so that the parliament would pass the new members.
UCID and Wadani have called on a consultative conference aimed at saving the country’s democracy under risk.

Though the opposition has voiced concerns the country might be closer to having local and parliamentary elections in 10 years. The current parliament came to office 2005 with elections expected at the end of the five-year term slated for October 30, 2010. However, the exercise was put off to June 30, 2013. As the June deadline came closer, the Electoral Commission announced a new date- February 27, 2015, and later November 2017 which also again came and went.