By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Parliamentarians in Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia have voted in favour of tenure extension by two years for President Muse Bihi Abdi whose current term of office was due to expire in November, the Senate Chairman said on Saturday.
Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991, but has not gained widespread international recognition for its independence. The region has been mostly peaceful while Somalia has grappled with three decades of civil war.
Saleeban Mahmoud Aden, Somalialand’s senate chairman, said 72 members of parliament voted on Saturday to extend Abdi’s term by a “two-year period.” One MP objected.
The Somaliland National Electoral Commission later announced it had postponed the election until July 2023, saying the previously scheduled date of Nov. 13 was not viable due to time, technical and financial constraints.
The president assumed office in 2017, and his term was due to expire next month.
In August, a protests by opposition supporters broke out in the region with demonstrators demanding elections be held in November amid suspicions the president wanted to delay the poll and extend his term. read more
There was no immediate reaction from the opposition to the parliament’s extension of the president’s term.
Omar Nur, the sole lawmaker to vote against the extension, told The Associated Press he decided to oppose it because parliament members weren’t consulted before the proposal was submitted.
“I don’t want to see our country plunging into chaos,” he said.
