Somaliland: Opposition Parties begin Election Campaigns in the East
Somaliland election campaigns have continued in the country without an incident for the sixth day with the two oppositions taking to the eastern regions on Monday and Tuesday.Below is an article published by Somaliland Press :
After the three parties each had their campaign days across the major cities, the second round of the three-way battle begun in the eastern regions of Sanag and Sool.
Huge crowds showed up for the main opposition party of Kulmiye on Monday in the main towns of Erigavo in Sanag and in Las Anod, the provincial capital of the disputed Sool region.
Thousands of supporters came out in Las Anod for Kulmiye party led by Mr Ahmed Mohammad Mohamoud (Silanyo) on Monday taking over the main streets. The crowd rallied throughout the city with no incident despite minority radical groups in the region vowing to disturb the Somaliland elections.
Fuad Adan Adde, Kulmiye Sool representative, told large crowd that Kulmiye was the party for Sool, a region that desperately needs hospitals and schools. He said the main hospital was the one the British had left in 1960 while school class rooms were over crowded with each class sitting more than 100 students.
Mr Bashe Mohammad Adde, Kulmiye Vice-Chairman of Sool, who also spoke there said the region was dissatisfied with the current ministers in the UDUB administration led by President Rayale.
He said most of the ministers from the region including the Minister for Postal Services was not fair for the people and they needed higher position such as the Minister of finance, Livestock or resources. He added if Kulmiye wins they will put an end to the current armed confrontations and seek peaceful resolutions.
Meanwhile, Mr Silanyo was based in the western-farming town of Gabiley, where he was warmly received by the locals.
On Tuesday, the city welcomed warmly the leader of Somaliland’s second opposition party, UCID, when his supporters and campaigners took it to the streets. Thousands welcomed Mr Faisal Ali Warabe.
Both UCID and Kulmiye got the lowest votes in Las Anod in the last Somaliland elections in 2003 each scoring only 11 per cent votes.
This year the opposition parties are expected to gain more votes than 2003 and challenge the ruling UDUB party in the three-way battle.
The country’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) has set the official election date on the 26 June 2010.
