Hargeisa- Today a meeting convened by the National Electoral Commission for the three political parties ended with a stalemate as the politicians disagreed over likely postponement of the presidential election scheduled at the end of March this year.

The National Electoral Commission (NEC) gave update to the parties about its preparation in distributing voter registration cards and the result of a nationwide assessment they conducted in December, the Secretary General of Waddani party, Mohamed Abdilahi, told the media.

The term of the incumbent, who is not running for re-election, lapsed July 2015, but received twenty months of extension.

The Commission did not brief the media upon the conclusion of the meeting, but representatives of the political parties who were present at the meeting separately talked to journalists.

The Deputy Secretary General of Justice and Welfare Party, Abdinasir Qodah, said it is not possible to hold the election on time due to severe drought that is devastating most of the eastern regions.

"The Commission told us that there is a severe drought in the country. 57% of the rural and nomadic people left their places of registration,” the Secretary General of Waddani, Mohamed Abdilahi, said.

"The Commission is organised to distribute voter registration cards and they are ready to hold the election on 28^th March 2017 as planned”, the spokesperson of the ruling Kulmiye party, Hassan Gafadhi, said.

NEC conducted a voter registration exercise in 2016, but the voter cards are yet to be distributed to the citizens who are registered to vote. According to the laws, a person can vote only at the poling post he/she is registered.

A reliable source present at the meeting told Somaliland Daily the parties disagreed whether to push back the election due to the drought.

Another meeting will be held in Monday to further discuss and try to resolve the matter, according to the sources.

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Jama Ahmed Jama is the Editor-in-Chief of Somaliland Daily

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