President Bihi delivers much-awaited Annual Speech

SOMALILAND.COM – The president of the Republic of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, today gave his annual State of the Nation Address at a joint session of the parliament. 

This year’s speech comes amid protracted electoral impasse brought on by disputes over the national elections commission. It also coincides with a week-long controversy over the president’s meeting with Somalia’s leader Mohamed Abdillahi Farmajo.

President Bihi addressed both issues head-on. 

He announced opening the registration process of new political associations that will compete to qualify for becoming National Political Parties. According to the Constitution, Somaliland cannot have more than three political parties at a time.

 The president says this is a way around the protracted disagreements over the NEC that dogged the nation for the past two years. 

On the foreign affairs front, president Bihi commented on his meeting with Somalia’s president Mohamed Abdillahi Farmajo for the first time. He revealed that although ambushed by Abiy Ahmed and Farmajo, he accepted a proposal for Ethiopia to mediate between Somaliland and Somalia. The president stressed that Ethiopia and Africa is serious about mediating between Somaliland and Somalia and resolving the issue. 

On the other hand, he welcomed and accepted president Farmaajo’s apology for the 1980s atrocities against the people of Somaliland. He said surprised by the apology and called it a step towards the right direction. 

The president even went further to explain president Farmaajo’s demand for an apology from former armed opposition groups. That had He said the caveat was for domestic consumption. 

President BIhi, however, declared that his magnanimity did not extend as far as to allow president Farmajo to visit Somaliland.