Hargeisa (SD) – Voters in the self-declared republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia are going to the polls for parliamentary for the first time since 2005 and for local councils since 2012.

The region which has declared its secession from Somalia in 1990s after the war broke out following the collapse of the central government led by late Mohamed Siyad Barre.

Over a million registered voters across Somaliland will elect councilors and members, according to Somaliland Election Commission (NEC).

Candidate from three political parties namely Waddani, UCID and Kulmiye will run to 82 parliamentary seats and 212 seats for local council.

NEC confirmed that the region deployed over a thousand of law enforcement officer who maintained of the elections across the capital administrative of the state.

“NEC has today organized and sent off more than a thousand policemen to the polling stations in Hargeisa. The vice chair of NEC has spoken to the security forces and indicated the important role they are to play for ensuring the security of the elections,” the agency said.

The elections will be observed by over a hundred international observers including Uganda’s former opposition leader, Kizza Besigye and ex-president of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Korma.

“High level delegates from Africa arrived in Hargeisa. Leaders of several African political parties, election experts, journalists, Academics, and other will take part in the process to observe the elections,” Mustafe Mohamed Dahir, the deputy chairperson of the NEC said in a twitter post on Saturday.

Some of the countries which are sending observers include Kenya, UK, US,  Canada among a host of other organisations and countries.