Somaliland’s 3 Political Parties Agree To Mediation Committee Recommendation To Reinstate Previous Electoral Commission

Hargeysa December 17,2019(Haatufonline)-The three Somaliland political parties,the ruling party Kulmiye and the 2 opposition parties Wadani and Ucid have all agreed to an independent mediation committee recommendation to reinstate the National Electoral Commission whose term expired last month as a way out of a 2-year long electoral dispute as a result of which the country’s parliamentary & municipal elections schedlued for end of 2018 had to be postponed twice.

The recommendation came in a 4-point proposal that also required the dissolution of the current NEC which was established only last month following the expiration of the term of the previous Commission. Dispute arose in early 2018 when Wadani, the larger of the 2 opposition parties, demanded that the then incumbent NEC be dissolved and a new one installed.Wadani has also rejected to send a representative to sit on the board of the new NEC,as the electoral law requires,unless one pro Kulmiye member of the NEC who was nominated by President Musa Bihi is removed and replaced.Wadani has agreed now that the previous NEC be reappointed.