Hargeisa- The President of Somaliland, Muse Behi Abdi, today met the leaders of the two opposition parties and discussed with them the implementation of the political parties' agreement over the composition of the National Electoral Commission.

A press statement released by the presidential spokesperson, Mohamoud Warsame Jama, said Faisal Ali Warabe, the chairperson of UCID, and Hersi Haji Ali Hassan, the leader of Waddani, attended a meeting convened at the presidential palace in Hargeisa.

"The opposition parties expressed a negative feeling on the method the House of Representatives refused to debate the motion to increase the number of the members of the National Electoral Commission,” the press statement said.

"Although we expected the House of Representatives to debate the motion tabled by the three political parties, the president suggested not to waste more time over a legal debate. He requested the two [opposition] national parties to become part of the electoral process as the three parties have already agreed,” the statement added.

The president told the leaders of the two opposition parties to give the top priority holding an election, the spokesperson’s statement reads.

"The president pledged that he will implement article 4 of the agreement concluded among the three political parties in 27th July 2019, which states that two additional members of the National Electoral Commission will be submitted to the next House of Representatives after the election is held,” the statement said.

The statement states that on 25th August 2019, the president asked the political parties and the Guurti (the House of Elders) to nominate their respective members of the National Electoral Commission.

 

According to the statement, the new composition will remain seven members. 

Waddani wants the members of the Commission to be increased up to nine.