Somaliland: Waddani Presidential Candidate Warns Somaliland Supreme Court of Potential Poll Dispute Incitement

Somaliland’s Waddani Party Presidential candidate, Abdirahman Irro, issued a cautionary statement to the Supreme Court of Somaliland on Wednesday, urging the court to avoid exacerbating disputes surrounding the order of elections.

Taking to social media, Abdirahman Irro emphasized that the resolution of the country’s current challenges—be they political, economic, or security-related—hinges solely upon holding elections which is agreed upon by all involved parties in Somaliland.

His remarks come in response to reports indicating that the national electoral commission submitted a letter to the Supreme Court regarding the upcoming elections. In light of this, the Waddani Party Presidential candidate asserted that the national electoral commission is the only authorized body empowered to determine the timing and procedures of the elections.

Furthermore, he criticized the Supreme Court for contributing to the protracted election disputes, referring specifically to the court’s decision on the election procedure last year.

However, the sequencing of the elections has been a contentious issue among stakeholders since last year. While Bihi’s administration, as well as political organizations, advocate for the political parties’ and associations’ elections to be held first, the two opposition parties advocate for the Presidential election to take precedence.