The main problem is the series of presidential and party elections

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Somaliland, a self-proclaimed republic in northwestern Somalia, is experiencing an electoral crisis due to disagreements over when presidential elections will be held. The current presidential term ends on November 13, 2022, but no presidential election has been held.

Somali opposition party they accuse President Musa Bihi Abdi attempted to postpone the election to stay in power beyond his term, and promised not to recognize his position after his term ends on November 13. The opposition called for elections to be held on time and urged their supporters to take to the streets and reject what they said were attempts to undermine the Constitution.

In August 2022, anti-government demonstrations broke out in several cities in Somaliland, which they face to security forces with pro-opposition protesters. Five civilians were killed, hundreds were injured and dozens more were detained. The two main opposition parties (Waddani and games Justice and Welfare) condemned excessive force used by police against unarmed civilians, while Somaliland Deputy Police Commander, Abdi Hassan Mire, accused protesters of being armed with knives, slingshots, batons and other weapons, which he said, killed dozens of people. injuries among security personnel.

A month later, matters became more complicated when Somaliland’s general election commission declared who were unable to hold presidential elections on time due to technical and financial limitations. He previously said elections would be held within nine months. Opposition parties welcomed the deadline, which was supposed to start after the president’s term ends, but it has not materialized.

In October, Somaliland’s Upper House (Guurti or Council of Elders) extended the president’s term by two years, so that elections will be held in 2024. The Upper House also extended his term to five years, as his term ends at the same time. it’s from the president. Seventy-two deputies voted; only one opposed.

The political deadlock continues and, for now, no agreement has been reached. President Bihi of the ruling Kulmiye party met with Somaliland’s two opposition party leaders – Abdirahman Abdullahi (Irro) of the Waddani party and Faisal Ali Hussein of the UCID party – to reach a consensus on the election calendar. However, that is meeting This only exacerbated political tensions, with the head of the UCID party accusing the president of seeking to achieve individual political goals at the expense of the opposition’s demands.

The main point of debate is the series of presidential and party elections. The current government emphasized that the granting of permits to political parties must be done before the presidential election, and stated that the nine eligible political associations (in accordance with the requirements of the national political party registration commission) would have an equal opportunity to run for permits compared to the three existing political parties His 10-year term of office expires in December 2022. Only three parties will emerge in this implementation, and at that time the public will vote for the party of their choice.

The reason for this direct election is because in 2021 regional head and parliamentary elections will be held. The three political parties that received the most votes have then fulfilled the licensing requirements for the next 10 years, as follows provision Somaliland’s reformed party election law. This will allow them to compete in the presidential election. In contrast, only two opposition parties in Somaliland are pushing for presidential elections to be held before political party registration.

Since the first universal suffrage elections were held in 2002, only three parties have dominated Somaliland’s political scene. The president wants to expand the political space so that multiple parties can run, a position supported by unlicensed political associations. Until now, nine political associations have been fulfilled Eligibility requirements for party registration. One of the conditions is that each political party has a thousand supports from each of the six regions of the country.

Somaliland’s electoral body recently petitioned the Supreme Court seeking legal interpretation of the election series. Court rejected the request, stated that the commission has the legal authority to determine the election calendar. On July 17, the KPU published a new election calendar, according to which party elections will be held on December 28, 2023, and presidential elections, approximately a year later, on November 13, 2024. In a decision, President Bihi accepted the new calendar.

Opposition parties argue that the entire process is against the law. According to them, the amended legislation has no legal basis because it has not been signed by the president into law. According to the opposition, the 21-day period set for signing the amended law has expired, so the previous law can be implemented.

The fight reached the country’s Supreme Court which, in its decision on January 16, 2022, he said legality of the original law. However, the court upheld a clause in the amended law that allows direct election of new political parties. The opposition welcomed the decision, as they did not accept the amendments to the law proposed by the Government. However, the Government continued with the amendment and officially opened political party registration.

In a joint press release, Somaliland’s international partners, including Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ethiopia, the European Union Delegation, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Sweden, welcomed the new election calendar and urged all stakeholders. – including Parliament – ​​to move forward based on political consensus as the basis for political stability, and encourage them to urgently resolve technical, financial, political and legal gaps, as determined by the national election commission.

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🇮🇩 joins the UAE🇴& 🇲🇪 in urging stakeholders to immediately resolve outstanding technical, funding, political and legal gaps following the announcement of the election date by the National Elections on Somali soil Commission. Read more ⬇️ https://t.co/qZU590Ueqf

— UK in Somalia🇮🇩🇴 (@UKinSomalia) July 19, 202

Joint statement of international partners regarding elections in Somaliland
International partners (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ethiopia,
Delegations of the European Union, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom) took note of the announcement by the Somaliland National Election Commission (NEC), which set the deadline for political party elections in December 2023 and presidential elections in 2023. November 2024. We are aware Somaliland’s public concerns about the time it will take to reach this point. We now encourage all stakeholders to move forward with political consensus as the basis for stability.
The people of Somaliland demand the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights in free and fair elections, and therefore, there should be no further delay in making those elections happen. We call on all political leaders in Somaliland to respect the deadline, as a way to reaffirm Somaliland’s democratic credibility.
To continue moving forward, we encourage all stakeholders, including the DPR, to immediately resolve technical, financial, political and legal gaps, as determined by the National Election Commission..
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🇮🇩 I am familiar with the UAE and Saudi Arabia and urge those concerned to immediately resolve the technical, financial, political and legal gaps pending after the announcement date. Somaliland National Election Commission Elections.

Meanwhile, civilians opposed to the current president remaining in office took up arms to pressure him to leave office and hold elections. The group that proclaims itself to be a militia against injustice (dulmi diid) has done this mobilized around Ga`n Libah Mountain, in the country’s Sahel region. On August 11, in an ambush on a police transport, nine police officers lost their lives and 17 people were injured. On August 13, at the public funeral of the fallen police officers, attended by politicians from across the political spectrum, President Bihi promised to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Somaliland, considered one of East Africa’s strongest democracies, has been a beacon of peace and stability in a region dominated by conflict and political instability. Since 1991, the country has been relatively peaceful; Since 2002, citizens have had the right to voice their opinions in general elections, one person, one vote. Postponing these elections could hamper progress towards democracy.