Somaliland House of Representatives Throws More Obstacle in the Overdue ELection

SOMALILAND.COM – Somaliland’s House of Representatives today voted down the approval of the opposition parties’ nominees to the National Elections Commission. 

UCID and Waddani party nominated Abdifatah Ibrahim Hassan and Mohamud Saeed Dalmar to the national elections commission. They both came before the House today for approval. However, that was not to be. 

Before the vote was taken, The interior committee of the House of Representatives recommended not approving both opposition parties nominees. The committee reasoned that UCID’s nominee is also a member of the previous electoral commission which will have an active role in managing the day-to-day operation of the election. 

On the other hand, the committee alleged that Waddani’s nominee could not be relied on being impartial in the election.

When it was time for taking a vote, neither nominee was able to secure the forty-one votes needed for approval. 

Twenty-eight MPs voted in favor of Abdifatah, eight voted him down while fourteen abstained. 

Mohamud Saeed Dalmar also came short with thirty-two votes to his favor, six against him and thirteen Abstentions.

With this vote, the house put one more obstacle to the already long-overdue local and parliamentary election.

There seems to be a confusion over the name of the Waddani party’s nominee to the national elections. While the House of Representatives today identified him as Mohamud Saeed Rooble, Waddani party called him Abdikarin Yasin Sh. Dalmar in previous communications.

Somaliland’s president Muse Bihi and the leaders of the opposition parties jointly rejected the decision of the House of Representatives.

President Bihi, Faysal Ali Warabe, and Abdirahman Irro met today after the House voted down the opposition parties’ nominees to the electoral commission.

President Muse Bihi Abdi said the decision of the House was not expected as the country just reeled from deadlock over the electoral commission. 

Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi, Irro, the chairman of Waddani party said the move will not affect the election schedule. 

The three leaders, however, did not disclose what will happen next.