SOMALILAND VOTES: We are ready for the Nov 13 elections- SLNEC spokesman
Over 700,000 voters will be trooping to the polls Monday to elect a new president in Somaliland. The polls agency Somaliland Electoral Commission (SLNEC) said it is ready for the exercise which will be conducted in 1,642 polling centres. Goobjoog News correspondent Khaalid Fodhaadhi spoke with SNEC spokesman Sai’d Ali Muse on the electoral process.
Goobjoog News (GN): Give us an overview on the state of preparedness in the Monday elections
As you are aware, only few days are remaining from the process of the election. On Monday election will take place in Somaliland. We completed the training of the university students (who will serve as electoral officials) from Hargeysa, Togdheer, Sool and Sanaag.
GN: How many polling centres will the elections take place and how much time are you allocating the exercise before polls close?
As for the registration of the election, it started January and completed September 2016. The number of the locations where elections will take place is 26. There are 1,642 voting centres. No one can vote in a different centre other than where one was registered earlier. Elections will take place within one day 13th November 2017 from morning till evening.
GN: How many observers and from which countries will be monitoring the exercise?
There are more than 120 international people from Europe, America and Africa, IGAD and other different organizations of African Union and other countries that have interest of Somaliland. We are using state of the art technology and the world is watching how it is going to work. It might be used later in the rest of Africa. Already Latin American countries are also following keenly on how the technology works here.
GN: How has it been preparing for this elections and how long did it take you to conclude the preparations?
We have been in this program for some time like 3 years now. We are left now only few hours and it’s the most challenging phase especially the registration and distributions of the cards, the two programs that consumed millions of dollars. The Electoral Commission of Somaliland is delighted to conclude this program and the registration of the people.