HARGEISA (Somaliguardian) – Somaliland’s opposition will no longer recognize President Muse Bihi Abdi if his term in office ends without the conduct of presidential election, Waddani opposition party leader Abdirahman Abdillahi Irro said on Thursday, shortly after returning home.
Speaking to a large crowd of his supporters outside Egal International Airport in Hargeisa, Irro stressed that the opposition parties were united against Bihi’s attempts to delay the upcoming presidential vote and threatened that parallel presidents would be installed if he fails to hold polls on schedule.
On a controversial decree issued by the President this month that called for the registration of new political organizations, the opposition leader said they were ready for participating in elections for political parties held once in every 10 years and that presidential vote should precede them.
Meanwhile, Somaliland President told attendees at a ceremony during a visit in the port city of Berbera on Thursday that new political organizations would be registered as the current political parties’ licenses expire on December 26. Irro accused him of interfering in the parliament’s work and stirring division among MPs, who have failed to gather for an assembly for nearly two weeks.
Opposition parties have won majority in the recent parliamentary elections and believe that the upcoming vote could sweep them to power after more than a decade the ruling party has been dominating the break-away region’s politics.
Contact us: info@somaliguardian.com
