The main political parties in Somaliland have signed an agreement on local elections in a deal struck today.
In the new deal, all the main political parties agree that the country should hold local and parliamentary polls in 2020.
The deal was struck during a meeting between President Musa Bihi Abdi and representatives of the country’s two major opposition parties.
For 15 years, Somaliland has postponed local and parliamentary elections citing internal political squabbles.
The differences between politicians and their parties often cause plenty of anxiety in a nation that emerged from years of war while part of Somalia.
However, the show of solidarity between President Bihi, Wadani Party’s Abdirahman Abdullahi Irro, and the leadership of UCID party, is welcome news around the Horn of African nation.
Consequently, the National Elections Commission (NEC) is scheduled to meet and start planning for the polls. NEC will also announce the dates for the local and parliamentary polls.
A joint statement released after the meeting said NEC must ensure the polls take place this year to prevent a fresh outbreak of anxiety and political feuds.