Hargeysa, Somaliland, August 1, 2009 (SL Times) – The Chairman of the House of Elders, Mr Suleiman Mohamud Adan and the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Abdirahman Muhammad Abdillahi (Irro) issued a joint statement in which they expressed their strong disagreement with the election commission’s decision to suspend the voter registration list for the presidential election. Here are the main points in their statement:

1-      The decision to put aside the voter list is wrong, and in conflict not only with Somaliland’s laws, but also with the aspirations of Somaliland’s people

2-      A lot of money and effort were spent in compiling the voter list, and to shove it aside would damage relations with the international donors who funded the voter registration

3-      Conducting the presidential election without voter list will negatively affect Somaliland’s quest for international diplomatic recognition

4-      The expulsion of the representative of Interpeace was a hasty decision and could have negative results on Somaliland

The Chairman of the House of Elders and the Speaker of Parliament urged the election commission to:

(a)    Quickly withdraw its decision regarding the voter list and to conduct the election based on the voter list

(b)   The constitutional organs of the state should meet as soon as possible to discuss how the presidential election could take place on the scheduled date of Sept.27, 2009

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