Somaliland Government and opposition parties fail to make progress in talks to end dispute over the upcoming elections

Somaliland opposition parties said the ongoing talks between them and the government over the upcoming elections, which were mediated by a joint negotiation committee, have failed. They blamed the President for the failure of the talks.

The two chairmen of UCID And Waddani parties noted the two houses’ speakers who are part of the joint negotiation committee told them that they did not get a positive response from the President after the meeting was delayed two days.

The President and his administration have yet to comment on this allegation. The joint negotiation committee also did not address the media about the matter. The opposition parties did not clarify what could be their next move following the failed talks.

Somaliland has been mired in a political and constitutional dispute in the past months over the upcoming elections. Opposition parties noted that no other ballot can precede the 13th November Presidential election, while President Bihi favors the political association election to come first before the Presidential election.