No legal basis for dismissing Controversial Electoral Commission – Somaliland govt

Hargeisa (Somaliland.com) – Somaliland government has announced that it did not find legal grounds to disband the controversial Electoral Commission.

In a press statement from the Ministry of Interior, the government said after legal consultations, it came to the conclusion that there is no constitutionally legal basis to disband the incumbent Electoral Commission. The Statement adds that the President nor the Parliament have the authority to dismiss a duly instituted electoral commission without lawful justification.

In the Monday meeting, the government claims that it proposed that all relevant stakeholders pursue a joint effort towards convincing the current commissioners to voluntarily resign from their positions.

Somaliland opposition parties UCID and Waddani said president Muse Bihi refused to implement the proposals of the mediation committee for breaking the deadlock over the electoral commission.

These proposals of the mediation committee were the latest effort to break the deadlock over the electoral commission which precipitated an electoral impasse and legitimacy crisis in the country.  On sixteen December, the committee issued their proposals calling for the dismissal of the controversial commission and reinstating its predecessor which wasn’t much less controversial.