ALL SYSTEMS GO: Somalilanders head to the ballot tomorrow

GOOBJOOG NEWS|HARGEISA: Slightly over one million registered voters In Somaliland will be heading to the ballot on Monday to elect new parliamentarians since the last vote was cast in 2005.

According to the Somaliland National Electoral Commission (SLNEC), 1,065, 847 people registered to vote in the parliamentary and local government elections set for tomorrow. The elections will be conducted in over 2700 polling stations within the territory of Somaliland included the disputed regions of Sool and Sanaag.

There are 552 local council candidates and 246 who will be contesting for the 82 seats in the House of Representatives.

President Muse Bihi urged voters to turn out noting the exercise was important for national unity. ”

“The House of Representatives will bring together people selected by all regions, and local governments will bring together people selected by districts and villages in the district capital,” Bihi said.

“We will get a united front, and when the union unites we will unite our forces and we will have something in common, there will be no conflict and suspicion.”

Tomorrow’s elections officially end a near two-decade uninterrupted stay in office for the House of Representatives which was last elected in 2005. Elections were to take place in 2005 but were severally delayed.

International observers drawn from Africa and beyond are already present in Somaliland for the voting tomorrow. Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma and former Ugandan opposition leader and presidential contender Dr Kiza Besigye are among other observers from Kenya, UK, Canada, South Africa, Gambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Sierra Leone.