Many Somalilanders are questioning the absence of Waddani party leader, Hersi Ali Haji Hassan, from the all-party campaign in Sool and Sanaag to encourage registered voters to pick up their voter ID cards.
A source close to Hassan who spoke to The National on the condition of anonymity on Saturday, said that Hassan is currently busy ‘dealing’ with Waddani’s rejection of last week’s House leadership election.
Hassan is said to be the driving force behind Abdirahman Talyanle’s rejection of the election results and Talyanle’s self-proclamation as the new Speaker of the House, and has also been accused by the Government of orchestrating the dispute.
Talyanle, who was previously the 3rd Vice-Chairman of Somaliland’s ruling political party, Kulmiye, and became close friends with Hassan during his tenure as Presidential Affairs Minister.
Talyanle supported Hassan and his allies during their constitutional coup attempt against President Silanyo in October 2015. Kulmiye’s leadership removed Talyanle from the post a few months later for supporting Hassan.
Talyanle later joined Waddani in late 2016 with Hassan and his allies. Talyanle is said to have unwavering loyalty to Hassan and is willing to support whatever stance he will take on the election dispute – which is now triggering fears across the country.
Somaliland’s Supreme Court dismissed Talyanle’s case against the House Speakership Election on Saturday, ruling that Talyanle’s case should be resolved within the House of Representatives, in accordance with Somaliland’s constitution.
Many sources are now reporting that Hassan is planning to encourage violent demonstrations across Somaliland in an attempt to force the Government to delay November’s Presidential Election.
Hassan has a history of planning violent uprisings in Somaliland. He was arrested in 2008 for planning violent uprisings against then-President Dahir Riyale Kahin’s government and was held in Mandera prison for close to a month. He was eventually released at the behest of his traditional elders and was monitored closely by security forces until the end of Kahin’s Presidency.
Somaliland’s National Police Force was put on a nationwide alert on Thursday, in response to the parliamentary dispute, which turned violent last week.
It is not known if Hassan will now backtrack on his plans and convince Talyanle to forfeit his claims, or whether he and his party will opt to take the Speakership ‘by force’, as many Waddani MP’s have promised within the past week.
