Somaliland political parties continue ‘agreeing to disagree’ on election issues

For the last 18 months, the three political parties of Somaliland have not reached any resolutions collectively to the election challenges.

The local and parliamentary elections were previously scheduled to happen in March 2019. Countless meetings between the parties have resulted in no solutions. The House of Elders extended the term of their colleagues, the House of Representatives, and the election is scheduled to happen in December, this year.

“Agreeing to disagree”

Citizens, civil societies, foreign organizations and countries who support Somaliland’s democratization process have several times expressed their great dismay on how the parties are handling the process. Where some intellectuals have described it as “agreeing to disagree”.

Ucid opposition party have recently sided with Kulmiye, the ruling party, on some issues while Waddani, the main opposition party, claims that they are the only side that compromised on many issues as the interim chairman Mr. Abdiqadir Ismail Jirde said today.

“Blame Game”

Interim Chairman of Waddani has today held a press conference condemning the Ucid and Kulmiye for embarking on
exclusively a mission to Nairobi, Kenya, to meet diplomats of the countries and organizations that support Somaliland’s election.

Mr. Jirde expressed their concern that Kulmiye and Ucid engage an unhealthy road which Somaliland has not seen it before; two parties cannot hold elections without the third party.

On responding to the President’s speech on 18^th May ceremony, the Waddani leader has insisted that President Muse Bihi Abdi “misinformed” the public about the latest election standoff. He added that Waddani is ready and willing to take part in elections in this year if a new National Election Commission (NEC) is formed fairly and election Bylaws are ratified.

In his speech, President Muse blamed Waddani party for hindering all possible solutions for hold this year’s polls.

Political analysts illustrated the latest moves of the three national parties as a “blame-game”.

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