HARGEISA, Somalia Nov 18 (Samotalis) - Authorities in Somalia's
separatist region of Somaliland have postponed voter-registration
process for the upcoming 2009 elections, officials said Sunday.
Mohamed Ismail Mohamed, Somaliland election commission chairman, told
reporters in the region's capital Hargeisa that the voter-registration
process has been postponed due to technical difficulties.
"The Indian firm contracted to conduct the voter-registration process
has withdrawn its employees due to security concerns," Mr. Mohamed
said, adding that the employees left Somaliland following the October
29 suicide bombings that killed more than 20 people.
He suggested that a new set of employees will arrive in Somaliland
after being trained by the Indian contractor in Kenya.
Somaliland is slated to hold presidential elections in March 2009 with
three political parties competing for the region's top job.
A lot depends on the coming elections. The friendly states of the West
spearheaded by Britain put emphasis on democracy and good governance
of Somaliland. Next year's election are the litmus test to prove its
health and precedes official recognition of many tacit supporters.
There is a doubt on the capability of the Electoral Commission and the
good will of the government. All focus is on the registration and
electoral processes. Somaliland cannot afford to fail this political
examination.The long waited recognition depends more on this than
anything else.
This postponement seems to most people as surrender to the will of the
terrorists and will portray Riyale 's administration as playing terror card to its advantage i.e
extending its expired term endlessly.
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