Waddani party says Bihi has no more excuses to delay elections following the approval of remaining seats of the NEC

Somaliland’s Waddani party has endorsed the vote of confidence for the last three remaining seats of national electoral commission by the house of representatives on Tuesday, becoming the first national political party to applaud the approval. The Press secretary of Waddani party Mohamud Jama Galal who made the announcement expressed optimism for the members to deliver their constitutional duties.

In a Twitter post, the foreign affairs advisor to Waddani’s presidential candidate Abdirahman Jama Awxoog said Muse Bihi has no more excuses to delay the Constitutional Presidential election which is due on November 13th 2022 and He will have no legitimacy of ruling when his 5 years tenure as president comes to an end.

President Bihi repeatedly blamed opposition MPs for delaying the electoral process after they had denounced the decision to give the vote of confidence to the members he appointed as electoral commissioners. However, the opposition parties sent similar accusations against the president and alleged Bihi showed less commitment to hold elections on time.

Somaliland is expected to hold two elections this year as it was scheduled; the Presidential election and the political association election. Meanwhile, the sequence of the elections have become the center of conflict between the opposition parties and the government.

Opposition parties want no other ballot to precede the 13th November presidential election while avoiding the parties’ licenses that will expire in December this year. Therefore President Bihi insisted on the Political association election to come first before the presidential election.

Last month, A voluntary mediation committee spearheaded by businessmen suggested to the parliament for the combination of the two elections to be held at the same time. Opposition parties separately welcomed the decision and the ruling party declined it.