By Goth Mohamed Goth
The NAGAAD Women network told held a one meeting with women representives from the three official national parties and other stakeholders in Somaliland aimed to address issues that preventing the holding of local councils and parliementary elections and the political parties contention regarding the national electoral commission.
Among the issues discussed the meeting were ways of resolving Somaliland’s electoral disputes and the participants gave the suggestions.
At the end of the meeting, Ms. Asmahaan Abdisalan Hassan, Chairman of Nagaad Women’s Network read the statement to the media.
PRESS RELESE: THE DELAY ON THE UPCOMING PARLIMENTARY AND LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS.
NAGAAD Network held a one day meeting with the women of the three national parties, on how the recurrent delays of parliamentary and local council elections effects the country’s political stability and democratization process. Somaliland women are disappointed with the lack of commitment of the Somaliland government, the three political parties and the parliament to decrease the number of unnecessary delays on the elections, and their lack of commitment to take action on improving gender equality and giving women space in political decision sharing. Women have to be appointed higher positions in the government and the political party leadership.
The women emphasizes that this prolonged election related disputes violates the civil right to vote and voted for as stated by article 22 of the Somaliland Constitution. As a result of this meeting, the following recommendations were agreed upon:
The women of the three political parties are disappointed with the unnecessarily recurrent delays on parliamentary and local council elections. They believe that these delays are violating their civil rights to run for the seats in the upcoming elections.
The women of the three political parties are calling for the three political parties and the Somaliland government to urgently come to an agreement on their disputes.
Women of the three political parties urge the Somaliland Parliament approves the Election Law and Women’s Quota in both Local Council and Parliamentary level.
Finally, we are recalling the government, parliament, and the political parts that women’s equal participation in politics is a crucial step toward achieving gender equality, the NDP II, the SDGs, and progress for all.
Ms. Asmahaan Abdisalaam,
NAGAAD Chairperson.
If you would like more information about this topic, please call Nafisa Yusuf at 0634427496 Email nafisa.yusuf@nagaad.org/nafisa.yusuf@nagaad.org
