Somalia: Somaliland to hold elections by 2017
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- Posted On 19-08-2015, 09:31AM
HARGEISA, Somalia, August 19, 2015 (Garowe Online)-A constitutional court in breakaway Somaliland region has set a date for parliamentary and presidential elections after a long-running dispute between Ruling Kulmiye Party and opposition, Garowe Online reports.
On May 28, parties agreed that polls be held on December 15, 2016, an agreement shelved by Somaliland House of Elders a week ago.
President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud (Silanyo) has asked the court to make final ruling on the exact date of polls.
General elections have been slated for 28th of March, 2017, a binding verdict from the court read on Wednesday.
On May 11, House of elders extended President Silanyo’s term in office by 22 months, leading to mass protests in opposition stronghold and the second largest city, Burao.
The forum for tradition voted against the poll signed between Ruling Kulmiye Party and two opposition parties-Justice and Welfare Party and Wadani-on August 8.
Somaliland, located in northwestern Somalia declared its independence from the rest of the country as de facto sovereign state in 1991 but it has not been recognized internationally yet.
