Hargeysa, Somaliland, March 28, 2009 (SL Times) – Today the Upper House of Parliament is considering a motion for an extension of President Dahir Rayale Kahin’s presidency. The president had submitted to the Upper House (the Guurti) a request to this effect that was read in parliament two days ago, and the Upper House members were asked to study the motion and come back on Saturday to consider it.

The reason the president is asking for an extension of his term in office is that the presidential election which was supposed to take place on March 29, 2009 could not be held at that date and was postponed until May 31, 2009 whereas the president’s current term expires on April 6^th, 2009 which means that a decision has to be made on who is going to be president of Somaliland from April 7 – May 31, 2009

The President is insisting that only an elected president can occupy the office of presidency, and that consequently the Guurti should extend his term; whereas the opposition asserts that the president’s term in office was already extended before and that the country cannot go on giving him one extension after another.

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