Somaliland commences training of electoral officials ahead of May poll

GOOBJOOG NEWS|SOMALILAND: Somaliland has kicked off the training of electoral officials at regional and district levels ahead of parliamentary and local government elections in May.

Somaliland National Elections Commission (SNEC) chairman Abdirashi Ali said the exercise which started yesterday will be conducted across the territory in phases. The first phase covers Awdal, Marodi-jeeh and Sahil regions.

The second phase of the training involving clerks and returning officers will take place in Togdheer Sanaag and Sool regions. Ongoing voter registration has suffered hitches in parts of Sanaag and Sool which are claimed by Puntland.

At least one person was killed last month in Badhan in Sanaag region after an unidentified person hurled a hand grenade at one of the voter registration centres.

Parliamentary and local government elections are slated for May 31, 2021, following several delays which have seen Lower House run uninterrupted since 2010 when the term of the current MPs lapsed.