Chairman of SelectHouse-Committee for ForeignAffairs Says Qaran andOther PoliticalAssociations Should Be Allowed toRegisterForLocalAuthority Elections

Hargeysa, June 9, 2007 (SL Times) - The Chairman of parliament's Select House-Committee for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Hussien M Ige, in a press statement issued last Saturday said, "the law which regulates the registration of political parties, law No 14/2000, can not be considered obsolete until it is substituted and is replaced by another law. It should be legal for political associations to participate in local authorities elections."

The select House-Committee Chairman went on to say that "the obstruction of political associations' participation in local authority elections is unconstitutional." In his press statement, Mr Ige emphasized that Qaran and any other political association wanting to participate in the coming local election should not been seen as a threat to the country's current political scene, but should be considered as a continuation of Somaliland's newly found democratic legacy.

The statement read, "In recent times, Somaliland has witnessed a setback in achieving its democratic ideals. Ideals, which were the foundation of the current political establishment and institutions, the culture of consolidation and negotiation. Unfortunately, we have become to well aware that the country's institutions and political elite have become embroiled in mud-slinging and malicious political counter-accusations and mediocrity.

Take the current confusion, where a citizen of this country, who wants to take part in local and national elections is denied his right to do so by those who claim only 3 political parties can run for office in the local authority elections. This misconceived argument goes against the constitution and election laws.

In reference, the recent press statement made by Mr Saeed I Roble, Chair of the Select-House Committee for Internal Affairs mentions Law No 12/2000, the regulation of multi political parties, which states that Somaliland's political arena is an open for all arena, and that the 3 national political parties along with non-national political associations can register and compete for any local authority election taking place, and the first 3 to achieve 20% of the local authority election vote will qualify to the national status of a political party and will go onto to take part in the presidential election.

This rule ensures that a national party cannot be complacent in thinking itself a party for life, and that competition with new political parties and associations in local authority elections will make sure that it is a party of the people and not a party of the few. If 3 national parties are determined as parties for life, this eventuality denies the constitutional rights that citizens of this country have in democratic decision-making processes that are enshrined in the constitution in articles, 21, 22, 23 and 127.

Therefore, I urge all to respect the laws of the country and for the registration (as soon as possible), of new political associations. I hope that Qaran, and any other new political association, aspiring to participate in the local authority elections should not be feared or seen as a threat to the current political status quo, and should be given their constitutional right to compete in democratic elections. Those politicians creating confusion regarding newly-formed political associations should stop engaging in such activities that are detrimental to the wellbeing of this country and nation.

Source: Somaliland Times

http://somalilandtimes.net/sl/2007/281/3.shtml