International countries that support Somaliland’s democracy and elections have welcomed the decision of the Somaliland Elections Committee to set the schedule for the elections.Joint Statement by International Partners on Somaliland Elections, reads as follows;
International partners (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ethiopia, European Union Delegation, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom) note the announcement of the Somaliland National Electoral Commission (NEC), which sets out timelines for Political Party elections in December 2023 and Presidential elections in November 2024. We recognise the concern of the Somaliland people in the time it has taken to reach this point. We now encourage all stakeholders to move forward with political consensus as the foundation for stability.
The people of Somaliland are calling for the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights in free and fair elections, and as such, there should be no further delays to progress towards these elections. We call all Somaliland political leaders to adhere to the timelines, as a means of reaffirming Somaliland’s democratic credentials.
To move forward, we encourage all stakeholders, including the parliament, to swiftly resolve outstanding technical, funding, political and legal gaps as set out by the NEC.