Abdulkadir Iman Warsame, Chief Commissioner of the Somaliland National Electoral Commission, Wednesday, made it clear that the seven-member commission he heads will last their term.
The Commissioner, speaking to the media at the conclusion of a demonstration of updated and upgraded voter registration methods, stated that their present, mandated term will end 29 November 2019, and until then they ‘will serve the nation as loyally as before’.
The exercise was meant to walk the three political parties of Somaliland through the upgraded processes and seek their approval. UCID and Kulmiye participated; Waddani skipped.
Commissioner said they had written to Waddani, and called them by phone.
“They had, obviously, decided to stay away and miss a process the current roster of commissioners will not a part of,” Chairman Iman said.
“None of us,” he said “will – hopefully – be a party to the upcoming parliamentary elections slated for 12 December 2010. All stakeholders have a right to be conversant on how eligible voters, constituents were registered. This has nothing to do with one liking or disliking another,” he said.
Commissioner Iman was, of course, referring to the long-standing opposition of Waddani party to the incumbent commission.
He said even if Waddani so disapproved their presence, it should have attended the session since incumbents will not around come election day.
The demonstration was attended, besides Kulmioye and UCID parties, by members of the Somaliland non-state actors and CSOs, international partners and other prominent guests invited.
NEC will run a mock voter registration exercise within a week or so.
The Republic of Somaliland went down in the annals of history as one of the first countries to test and implement a biometric-based voter registration system using iris recognition technology. The system was introduced and tested in January 2017. In November the same year, registered voters went to the polls to pick their next and fifth president – a feat not many can boast of.
