The Somaliland national political parties set parliamentary and local councils elections for the end of 2019 at a meeting held at the Presidential palace, Hargeisa, Sunday.
The announcement followed more than a month-long shuttle effort which former Vice presidents of Somaliland, Hassan Essa, Ahmed Yussuf Yassin and Abdirahman Ali Aw Farah, spearheaded along with the Somaliland Academy for Peace and development, SONSAF and other civil society organizations.
Nobody was certain even at the end of last week if the three parties could, again, iron out the creases left behind the last presidential election. A rift developed among the parties with some demanding that no election was possible while the incumbent electoral commission held office.
As late as Thursday, WADDANI was insisting that it was neither ready for talks on upcoming elections nor striking any kind of rapport with the other parties, especially the ruling party – Kulmiye.
Despite the difficulties, good sense and the Somaliland-specific consensus when it came to national issues prevailed.
The parties agreed on three major points, namely (a) that parliamentary and municipal elections be held at end of 2019; (b) that inter-party dialogue be continued; and (c) that any issues which arise be amicably sorted out among the three parties.
The elections were previously slated to be held in March 2018.
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