President Bihi and Opposition Leaders Postpone Settling Electoral Dispute

Hargeisa (Somaliland) – President Muse Bihi and the leaders of opposition parties delayed settling the dispute over the electoral commission for another two weeks to spill over to the new year. The chairman of the opposition party, Waddani, said the president requested the period to find a way to implement the proposals of the mediation committee. 

This came in the second meeting of president Bihi and the leaders of opposition parties, Abdirahman Irro, and Faisal AliWarabe at the presidential palace.

Vice president Abdirahman Zaili’i speaking after the meeting said the implementation of the mediation committee proposals needed time to finalize legal aspects. He said the government will work on the legal aspects of the mediation committee proposals until January Tenth. 

Today on our second meeting we have agreed on the need for time to implement those proposals – a period to make the mediation proposals comply with the law. We have set a short period until the tenth of the next month to reflect on and complete this task.

Abdirahman Zayli’i, Somaliland VP

The vice president voiced the government’s commitment to holding elections which he said were instrumental to Somaliland’s salvation.

Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, the chairman of Waddani party, on his part, announced that opposition agreed to grant the government the grace period it requested. He said that the people of Somaliland will hear good news on January tenth with a decision leading the country into an election.

We are informing the people of Somaliland and all election stakeholders that were expecting on January Tenth good news that will bring joy to the people of Somaliland and which will lead us to an election.

Abdirahman Irro, Waddani Party Chairman

The current framework for ending the prolonged deadlock over the electoral election was put forward by an independent mediation committee comprising prominent businessmen and religious leaders. It called for the dismissal of the current electoral commission and reinstating its predecessor.