On May 11, 2015, Somaliland’s Upper House (Guurti) decreed that presidential and parliamentary elections will be held 1 year and 10 months after President’s Silanyo’s term of office ends on June 26, 2015. The Guurti also attached conditions that are to be met for the election to take place. The conditions include that the 82 seats of the Lower House are to be reallocated to the regions (A week ago the ruling Kulmyie Party vice chairman Mohamed Kahin pointed out the need for election law that tackles the same issue, a fact that proves the Guurti takes directions from the Administration!) The Guurti, however, did not elaborate on what will be basis of this endeavor and who is to reform the Lower House? The fact is no region or sub clan will accede to have the number of their delegation reduced.
On May 13, 2015, Vice President Saylici added another hurdle: that voter registration will be preceded by the completion of the issuance of identity cards, which, he added, is 50% complete. This ploy has been a diversionary tool used by the administration to distract attention away from the voter registration. By advancing propositions that the opposition parties will not accept, the Silanyo Administration expect to indefinitely delay the election and cling to power.
The Silanyo Administration and the malleable Guurti embarked on this path despite the following:
- The National Election Commission and the three political parties (which includes the ruling Kulmiye Party) agreed June 1, 2016 as the Election Day.
- The Democratization Steering Committee (DSC) based in Nairobi which is funding the voter registration and the elections to the tune of $13.5 million, in a letter to the President and Guurti warned that the “international community will consider any further politically motivated extension as unacceptable and this would have an impact on our strong political and development relationship with Somaliland”. Should President Silanyo rejects their advice, he risks jeopardizing tens of millions of dollars in development and electoral assistance.
By undertaking a politically motivated extension, the President and the Guurti substantially undermined the authority of the National Election Commission and slapped at the face of the international community, whose political and economic support the Somaliland people need.
While Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed appointed an Electoral Commission and boldly declared that he is determined to holding elections in the summer of 2016, Somaliland President Ahmed Silanyo and the Guurti embarked on undermining the democratic tradition that was planted and nurtured by former President’s Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal and DahirRayaleKahin.
The WADANI opposition party should be commended for taking principled position by pledging to stick to the one year extension recommended by the NEC and the three political parties. Furthermore, they should keep encouraging their supporters to exercise their constitutional right to engage in peaceful protests across the country. The Somaliland people and the international community will watch if the Silanyo-Saylici Administration will order the police and the army to open live ammunition on those peaceful protesters much as General SiadBarre did in the 1980s.
Los Angeles
By Adan H Iman
Email:adaniman40@gmail.com