Somaliland needs to reform its political party system, that’s according to international observers in the country.
The Limited International Election Observation Mission (LIEOM) issued a statement on this recently.
LIEOM sent observers to the parliamentary and local government elections that Somaliland held on May 31, 2021.
The observers have now released their 68-page report on the elections.
Their report mostly focused on the issues affecting Somaliland’s political parties and electoral system.
Some of the issues their report covered include voter information, political campaigns, legal frameworks on electoral system, and role of media in elections.
In their view, the May 31 elections were generally peaceful, credible, and transparent.
However, the political party system needs reforms.
Specifically, they cited the fact that only three political parties are allowed to contest elections in Somaliland as proof that the system needs reforms.
According to them, such a situation causes undermining of freedom of association.
Political participation rights also suffer when such a system continues to prevail.