All Evil Started from KULMIYE Govt. Stalled Tactics Against Scheduled Elections
By Dr. Ismail Yusuf, PhD.Toronto, Canada
I have not written much about Somaliland in recent years. But the current political situation in Somaliland is of major concern.
As of now, neither the political organizations’ contest nor the November 13 presidential election is possible to happen, and recent events have portrayed the government as acting in bad faith.
In the recent months and weeks, several attempts were made by the two major Somaliland opposition parties Ucid and Waddani to persuade the government to hold the democratic national elections on time, but all attempts have failed.
For example, several mediation dialogues initiated by clan elders, and the business and civil society leaders have collapsed.
And on June 9 the government used lethal force, intimidation and extrajudicial arrest to squash peaceful public protest against the election delays and stalling tactics by the government.
To sustain the Somaliland democratic project, the opposition leaders insist that free and fair elections should happen on time as previously agreed.
The people of Somaliland deserve to exercise their democratic right to elect their next leader in a timely and peaceful manner.
On August 7 the opposition leaders submitted a letter to the Somaliland Ministry of Interior to inform the government of a scheduled nationwide demonstration on August 11.
Predictably, on August 9th the Minister of Interior called for a meeting with the opposition leaders to discuss their letter about the upcoming demonstration on August 11.
This is perceived as another stalling and intimidation of opposition by government. Failure to resolve this matter will be the start of a political crisis.
By Dr. Ismail Yusuf, PhD.
