BREAKING: Police occupy Waddani headquarters, barricade roads ahead of today’s demos

Security forces have taken over the headquarters of the Somaliland opposition party Waddani and closed all roads leading to the premises following planned protests set for today.

The party’s secretary general Khadar Abdi and spokesman Barkhad Jama were arrested Sunday following a call for protests by party leader Abdirahman Irro.

Irro called on party supporters to go to the streets Monday, a call which was repeated by the spokesman Jama before he was whisked away by police.

The entrance of the party headquarters was Monday morning barricade with rocks amid stand-off between the opposition and government over nomination of candidates for the Electoral Commission.

Parliament approved this past week six of the seven commissioners for the Somaliland National Electoral Commission (SLNEC).

The opposition has accused president Muse Bihi of fronting allies some of them working in government and the ruling party Kulmiye to serve in the polls body.