Somaliland launches voter verification in final stretch for May polls

GOOBJOOG NEWS|HARGEISA:  Preparations for the much delayed parliamentary and local government elections in Somaliland entered the final stretch Monday following the launch of voter register verification and updating.

The Somaliland National Elections Commission (SNEC) Monday dispatched electoral officials to all the six regions- Marodi-jeex, Togdheer, Sanaag, Sahil, Sool and Awdal regions to carry out the exercise.

The exercise gives the opportunity to those wishing to change their polling stations or replace their lost voting cards according to SNEC. The voter registration exercise which started in November concluded last month targeting those who are aged 15 years and above.

SNEC chairman Abdirashid Mohamed Ali told journalists in Borama Monday the exercise will be conducted in 120 registration centres for a period of ten days.

A total of 747 candidates are contesting in the local council elections while 246 candidates are vying for the 82 parliamentary seats. Slightly over 700,000 voters were registered during the 2017 presidential elections.

The May 31 elections will be the first since 2005 when the current officeholders were elected. Attempts for elections have failed severally. Children who were born when the current lawmakers were elected to office are now eligible to vote in the upcoming elections.