The government has for the second time footed the election bill that is to cater for the remainder of tasks in the forthcoming Presidential Elections.
The state is living by its pledge, wish and want to see to it that the forthcoming elections scheduled for the 13th November 2017 is held as stated.
In a function held at the Auditors General office yesterday, the state reiterated the same facts as it handed over a 2 million US dollars cheque to the National Elections Commission (NEC).
While handing over the cheque to NEC chairman Engineer Abdiqadir Iman Warsame, the Finance Minister Hon. Zamzam Abdi said, “As far as you all know the forthcoming Presidential elections is scheduled to be held on the 13th November 2017.
She further added, “It is incumbent upon the government to hold the elections in time hence it is true that the NEC was slightly wary about the funding since hiccups that delayed matters occurred thence we (the state) had to step in and foot the bill”.
NEC chairman Engineer Abdiqadir Iman Warsame speaking during the brief ceremony said, “It was incumbent upon the state to adhere to its obligations hence the government was every time on hand to help the commission on whatever factor needed from the administration.
He further added that the money was to cater for all the necessary costs need including the preparation for the elections itself.
The International Community has in the past provided substantial support to this electoral process on the basis of Somaliland’s commitments to timely, concurrent Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
The donors partners ceased to provide funds for the process after failing to convince the President of Somaliland to reconsider his decision, and to hold the Presidential and Parliamentary elections together in March 2017.
One foreign was quote saying, “Donors have invested heavily in the electoral preparation and do not want to see this commitment undermined and depleted by continuous delays. The International Community will not be able to fund the additional costs that the decision to delay the Parliamentary elections will incur, the burden of which will therefore regrettably fall on the Somaliland people.
