Somaliland Political Parties Agree on Electoral Body after EU Mediation

SOMALILAND.COM – Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi and the opposition parties of Waddani and UCID have reached a new agreement on holding local and parliamentary elections this year.

The agreement is once agains brokered by the European Envoy to Somalia, Ambassador Nicolas Berlanga Martinez. 

President Bihi and the Opposition have settled the contested issue of the body that will oversee the election. For the first time, the sitting National Elections Commission will delegate most of its duties on conducting  the election to a new body called Technical Election Management Unit. 

This new body will be composed of the former electoral commission plus three non-voting members appointed by Somaliland’s international partners.

The current National Elections Commission will be completed by the opposition parties nominated two members. It will retain the power of formalizing the work of the technical unit such as declaring the results of the election, appointments, etc. 

Another implied output of the agreement is that president Bihi will quietly walk out of the announcement regarding registration of new political parties two years ahead of schedule. 

Mohamed Kahin Ahmed, the interior minister and deputy chairman of the Kulmiye party, said afterwards that the accord was reached in good faith.

The three sides all agreed that the accord was reached in goodwill and will lead the country to an election this year. 

On his part, Faisal Ali Warabe, the leader of UCID party, said the agreement is a new chapter for Somaliland. He apologized to the people of Somaliland for the protracted deadlock over the election. 

—