International Partners Disappointed by Somaliland Electoral Delays
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Thursday March 09, 2017 - 22:30:57 in Wararkii u danbeeyay by Jama Ahmed
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Hargeisa-Denmark, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States said in a statement they are "deeply disappointed by the Guurti's decision to delay further Somaliland's electoral cycle, unilaterally extending the government's term beyond even the dates requested by government".
The Guurti recently extended the presidential election to November 2017 while the parliamentary and local elections were delayed to 2019.
The international community said the extensions are not based on "justification or a plan for addressing the obstacles to holding the long-delayed parliamentary polls”.
"These delays undermine democratic progress in Somaliland and have caused serious concern among international partners about the government’s credibility and respect for democratic norms. We note that Parliamentarians will have been in office 14 years without an election under this plan, more than twice the constitutional limit,” the international partners said.
They called on "the Guurti, as a sign of respect to Somaliland voters, to reconsider their decision and set a timeline for presidential, parliamentary, and local elections to take place as soon as technically feasible”.
"As donors, we have been clear on extensions of mandate and delay of elections, as well as their implications. The Somaliland Government’s credibility is at stake and significant investments are being lost. Regrettably, as previously stated, donors will not cover the costs that these delays will incur,” the statement concluded.
International Partners Disappointed by Somaliland Electoral Delays
Hargeisa-Denmark, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States said in a statement they are "deeply disappointed by the Guurti's decision to delay further Somaliland's