Chief Justice, 60 Somaliland Fed MPs fault special treatment of Somaliland in electoral process

A group of 60 Federal MPs and the Chief Justice Aiyded Abdullha Ilka-hanaf have protested the move to consider the break-away region of Somaliland as a special case in the consultative process on finding the electoral formula for 2016 polls.

In a statement to the media, the lawmakers and the head of the supreme court, all hailing from Somaliland have termed the decision as sectarian and only aimed at promoting the secessionist agenda being advanced by the northern state.

“From the onset, the failure to incorporate Somaliland leadership in the National Consultative Conference was a big mistake. And to treat Somaliland as a special case different from the rest of the country is a threat to unification and only serves the interest of those who want to divide the country into two,” said group spokesman Yusuf Mohamed, MP.

The group said the Constitution defines Somalia as one and does not in any way contemplate the existence of another country within Somalia. “There is no special mention or arrangement for the status of Somaliland in the constitution. The constitution only identifies it as a northern state and we are representatives of that region in the Federal Parliament,” added Ali.

The National Consultative Forum in its facilitation guide last week in Mogadishu noted that regional consultations for Somaliland, Middle Shabelle and Hiiran would take place in Mogadishu.

But the lawmakers have faulted the arrangement noting that giving special mention to Somaliland only serves to embolden Somaliland administration in their quest for independence from the South. The group said they will be writing to the United Nations to intervene in the matter.

The development comes at a time Somaliland ruling party and government is being rocked by dissent after six ministers and two deputies yesterday resigned in a huff after falling out with President Mohamed Silanyo for his preferred choice of one of the candidates for the party chair position.

The move by the lawmakers could significantly have some far reaching implications on their political lives back home as unionist ideas are frowned upon in Somaliland which has for over two decades being championing for an independent state.