Monday March 13, 2023
Hargeisa (HOL) - The deputy chairman of Somaliland's opposition Wadani Party, Ahmed Omar Haji Hamarje, has warned that the Somaliland government could collapse if the presidential election is not held within the timeframe set by the commission.
In an interview with a local television station in Hargeisa on Sunday, Hamarje stated that a delay in the elections would exacerbate the conflict in Las Anod, adversely affecting the wider region.
"I am waiting for the commission to fulfill its promise to hold the election after nine months. If they don't, Somaliland will face the same fate as Las Anod," Hamarje said. "Even one additional day to the election timeline could result in more regions becoming like Las Anod."
Hamarje also accused President Muse Bihi Abdi and the Speaker of the Senate, Saleban Mohamud Adan, of instigating the violence in Las Anod to postpone the election. He claimed that his party was ready for presidential and union elections while accusing the President of being unprepared.
Hamarje was among the more than ten politicians arrested during the anti-government protest in Hargeisa but was later released.
The violence in Las Anod has displaced over 185,000 people since it began on 28 December 2022, and over 200 people have lost their lives, with hundreds more injured. Hospitals have also been damaged, leading to a lack of medical care for those in need.