HARGEISA (SD) – The traditional leaders mediating the electoral dispute between President Muse Bihi Abdi and the official national opposition parties met in Hargeisa today.

The meeting did not yield any results, partly due to the president’s refusal to hold the presidential election on time and with the third phase of the meetings scheduled for tomorrow.

The president demanded that the elders withdraw from mediation and that the speakers of both houses of parliament take over the resolution of the electoral dispute.

A suggestion shut down by the opposition parties, as they argued their inability to render a constitutional based decision on the crises.

The meeting was scheduled to take place before Eid al-Adha, to defuse tensions between the two sides.

The Somaliland president opposes the constitutional order of the presidential election, and the opening of the parties.

The two came closer after traditional leaders succeeded in freeing opposition officials who had been illegally detained by the president.