13 more political parties registered in Somalia

Thirteen more political have been cleared on interim basis having met conditions for registration by the registrar of political parties.

The registrar of political parties Mohamed Omar Ahmed and the National Independent Electoral Commission chairperson Halima Yarey announced Thursday that the 13 parties have qualified for registration on interim basis.

The unveiling of the 13 parties adds to about 70 the number of political parties so far handed certificates of interim registration since last year.

The parties are expected to participate in the upcoming elections which have since been postponed until next year.

NIEC’s Yarey told Parliament last week the Commission needed a minimum of 13 months to plan for elections. According to Yarey, Somalia can go to the polls March 2021 if manual voter registration starts next month.

The Commission however noted should Parliament insist on biometric registration then elections will happen in August 2021.