Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi now admits meeting members of the business community involved in unlocking the impasse between the government and the opposition parties.
However the president did not divulge any information from their meeting nor did he commit to support the proposal by the business people to have the presidential and the political organization elections be held at the same time.
The president seemed to contradict his deputy Security Minister Abdillahi Hussein Mohamed, who had on Tuesday dismissed the proposals and accused the mediating committee of working for the opposition.
The president spoke when he presided the Hargeisa University graduation ceremony. He said that he was aware of the mediating businessmen’s proposal prior to them telling the country.
The business people whose investment in the internationally recognised nation has continued to propel its economy are worried at the continued political tension in the country occasioned by the government’s failure to commit to holding presidential elections in November 2022.
As a result, the opposition parties have resorted to street demonstrations which have so far claimed the lives of five people and left hundreds injured.
The situation has attracted international concern with the country’s development partners calling for the government and the opposition to come to a negotiation table. When this happened, the government walked out of the talks.
