HARGEISA (SD) – The third phase of presidential election talks between Somaliland President Muse Bihi and the leaders of the three national parties Wadani and UCID has resumed today.

The traditional leaders mediating the sides did not patriciate today’s meeting.

The mediation will now be led by the two Speakers of the House of Elders and the House of Representatives of Somaliland, Saleban Mohamud Aden and Abdirizak Khalif Ahmed.

The conference, which is meant at resolving the crisis over the Somaliland’s presidential elections, began today with a joint agenda prepared by the three national parties.

For his part, the Somaliland president insisted that the presidential election be postponed and that political parties be registered, a move the opposition deems to be unconstitutional.

The party leaders, for their part, presented their objections on the president’s proposal, with both speaker and the president and vice-president listening.

The sources close to the meeting added that today’s meeting ended with an understanding to continue to have further discussions tomorrow.

However, the opposition parties and the government led by Muse Bihi have been embroiled in a tense election dispute ever since the president announced his intention to postpone the presidential election.