Cabays Media:-

In unprecedented meeting that brought together Somaliland’s opposition party leaders and government senior officials held at Somailand’s Presidential Palace was discussed on Monday the scale of the drought that hit hard Somaliland and if continuing voter registration process can be halted as the country struggles to rescue thousands of people and livestock affected by the worst drought in decades.

In the meeting chaired by President Silanyo , the political party leaders of UCID, Waddani and Kulmiye  and the leader of of the Upper House of Guurti expressed their concerns on both the continuation of the voting registration process and the drought which is taking toll on both the process and the people.

After hours of intense meeting all political sides agreed to halt the voting registration while the drought lingering, but the Waddani Party rejected the idea and accused the government of derailing Somaliland’s democratic process and labelled the decision taken by UCID and the ruling parties as ‘unnecessary and suspicious move’.

After the meeting the controversial UCID party leader, Eng. Faysal Ali Warabe confirmed his endorsement of postponing the voting registration process. “The president has called for the meeting and requested us to consider postponing the national voting registration process and this is an issue brought to our attention by the people both at home and overseas” Said the UICD party leader explaining how the idea came.

“It is immoral that with our people lacking basic food and water and the International is rescuing we go out and ask for a vote” Added the UCID party who strongly supports the postponement of the whole voter registration process.

“The request made by the president is something happened to us when terrorist struck us in 2008 and we postponed the elections but later held on planned time and the next elections will remain as plan but we accept the president’s request” concluded his statement the UCID leader who also criticised Waddani Party for not taking the same decision,

However, chairman Faysal has welcomed the support he said Waddani party leader, Abdirhman Erro has showed and called his party to follow suit.

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The ruling party chairman and the presidential hopeful, Muse Bihi Abdi who also spoke at the press conference after the meeting also confirmed his party’s support to put on hold the voter registration process.

“To sum up the whole meeting it was all about stressing that election should be held on time and the second issue was to put on hold the voter registration process for a time being” Said chairman Muse Bihi Abdi.

Explaining what they based on their decision to support the postponement of much supported voter registration process which already successfully completed in four Somaliland regions despite of the drought badly affected some, the ruling party leader added:

“As a small nation we’re financially not well off to continue the voter registration process and the efforts to encounter the drought so we need to put all our resource to focus on the drought rescue efforts”

Assuring that voter registration will not be delayed unnecessarily, the ruling party presidential candidate added:

“As we get used to receive from the The Almighty Allah the April month is the month if the dry season lingers normally we get rain and if it rains and Allah eases the drought we will continue the voter registration, but if the rain fails it is then another situation we pray for the mercy of Allah”

The Kulmiye presidential also praised the Waddani party leader, Abdirahman Erro, whom he said  he principally accepted the President’s request to postpone the national voter registration process, but confirmed that Waddani party has rejected the idea as opposition party.

“The Waddani party has refused to join us in this but their chairman has accepted the it and he showed maturity by saying where his party stands is clear but he accepts what the nation agreed to”

But Waddani party leaders who attended the all stakeholders meeting discussed on the postponing the Somaliland’s second national voting registration process strongly rejected the move and warned of delaying the upcoming elections in early next year. And hours later he circulated a precess release enforcing where his party stands.

At the press conference in Somaliland’s Presidential Palace, the Waddani secretary general, Mohamed Abdillahi Urade has explained why his party rejects the idea of delaying the voter registration and said:

“The meeting we were called in today was partisan and one-sided, and  the views of (others) were not interested to be heard” said the Waddani secretary who pressured his party leader to sideline with them.

Accusing that the meeting was orchestrated by the Presidential and the its party to push a hidden agenda, the Waddani Party secretary slammed the whole meeting and added:

“The meeting was organized and not representing the national interest”. Recalling the recent campaign trails during drought hit Somaliland and how the ruling party turned on blind eye on the situation and  ignored the calls made by some regional and traditional leaders to delay the voter registration process” the Waddani Party secretary added:

“This nation has endured severe droughts, mainly in the Western regions where it hit hard and this government has continued its campaign trails to push people to register during all that time people were dying in Salal (region) and Zaila (town) Awal (region) and today they are saying voting should not take place in Faraweyne (district) and voter registration should not happen there…we see this as unjust and abuse of power… and we will ever accept it”

The Waddani secretary has also accused the government of hijacking the National Election Commission by coming up with such proposal encouraging the postponement of the Somaliland’s national voter registration which is so vital for fair elections.

“The National Election Commission were not given any word to say at the meeting, instead the Kulmiye leader and others (in the government) were talking as evidence that they’re driving this nation in a way fails to succeed with fair elections” Added the Waddani secretary who squarely blamed the ruling party for attempting to derail Somaliland’s democratisation process.

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The Upper House of Guurti leader, Salebaan Gaal has also backed the idea of postponing the voter registration process and called all parties and the nation to focus on providing assistance to drought affected areas.

Source closed to the Guurti House confirmed for Cabays Media thay the decision to delay the voter registration process was originated from Kulmiye party leaders who find that regions they consider stronghold the turnout for the registration was very low and the drought was to blame.

Other source closed to the Presidential Palace say if the drought lingers any longer this will subsequently will lead to an election delay which make the current infirm leader to remain in power much longer then the original plan. And this will be another opportunity the first lady will grasp the power she enjoys since the president suffered a mild senility.

According to Somaliland election critics, the  new proposal calling for the postponement of Somaliland’s national voter registration process, which seemed to be approved and already acted on could pushed for further extension term for the government since the constitution allows if drought lingers elections can be delayed indefinitely.

Also critics fear it might fail the whole democratisation process which is slowed down since President Silanyo came to power and sought eighteen months of extended term despite of criticising his predecessor for similar situations as opposition leader.

It is not clear how much the Waddani rejection of delaying voter registration process can help the government to change course or whether people will support any further delays of elections. But the unyielding drought has brought another opportunity for Preisent Silanyo and his closed elites seek further extension term that could derail Somaliland’s democratisation process.

Cabays Media staff

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