Somalia: 'Ruling party killed democracy in Somaliland' says opposition leader 11 Dec 11, 2012 - 2:02:55 PM
HARGEISA, Somalia Dec 11 2012 (Garowe Online) – Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose UMMADA party leader criticized Somaliland’s district elections saying that the ruling government's Kulmiye party “killed democracy”, Garowe Online reports.
Former Somaliland Interior Minister Dr. Gabose who gave a press statement in Hargeisa, the Somaliland capital, deeply denounced the district elections which began at the end of November.
“My political party UMMADA, are not at all satisfied with the way the elections were handled, the results are not at all correct nor are they transparent,” said Dr. Gabose.
Somaliland’s UMMADA leader continued to say that the elections “were not intended to be impartial”.
This is the second party leader to criticize district elections and the Somaliland National Election Commission’s (NEC) handling of the district elections. Haqsoor political party leader Hassan Isse has been adamant of a total recount of the district elections in Somaliland.
However, Dr. Gabose not only called for the immediate resignation of the NEC, he also accused the ruling party of Kulmiye as “killing the democratic state in Somaliland … which now should be buried”.
The office of the Somaliland president, released a statement refuting Dr. Gabose’s comments on Tuesday, hours after his press conference.
Presidential Palace spokesman Ahmed Saleeban Duhul said that the Silanyo government helped widen the democratic process in Somaliland. He also added that the international observers monitoring the district elections called it “transparent”.
The NEC stated that there were over 50 international observers monitoring the elections.
Mr. Duhul said that the Somaliland government had neither involvement in the district elections nor any coercion of the NEC decision.
Deadly protests sparked after preliminary district election results were released in Hargeisa last Friday, leading to 3 deaths and 7 injuries, after demonstrators and police clashed in Hargeisa.
After the deadly protests and incredible pressure by the four political parties who had grievances with the election results, the NEC decided to review the elections. The commission later stated that it would only review Hargeisa district election votes.
