Opposition parties slam Somaliland election postponement

The main opposition parties denounced the government of the breakaway Somaliland ‘s decision on earlier this week to postpone parliamentary elections.

The president of Somaliland, Ahmed Mohamed Silaanyo set presidential elections on the 28th March 2017 while the Parliamentary elections postponed for unspecified period, citing the Parliamentary elections are not feasibility with the current regionally inequitable seats distribution.

Opponents of the government say the changes were meant to help President maintain the support of  house of the preventative members who have been in the office for over eleven years.

In a Joint press statement, UCID and Wadani said they are disappointed that elections will not be held on March 28th next year.

“We hopes the government will at least use the time to reflect on the way it is organizing the poll,” noted the statement.

They said hat the assembly polls should be held in same time with the presidential elections.

Somaliland’s house of representatives has serving for over eleven years and the region has not held parliamentary elections since 2005.

Somaliland, former colony of Britain declared a unilateral independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991 but no country has so far recognized it as an independent state.