26 June 2009 | News
Hargeisa, Somaliland (Somaliland Globe)The Somaliland government is
using food aid provided by WFP to shape the outcome of the upcoming
presidential election planned for 27 September, sources close to the
presidential palace told The Somaliland Globe.
The government is distributing the food aid in selected urban and
rural areas, in which the ruling party, United Peoples' Democratic
Party known by its Somali acronym UDUB, was losing the strong support
it used to enjoy, in order to woo back the electorate to vote for
UDUB.
The failed rainy season led to a drought situation in the inland
pastoral zones of Somaliland, affecting particularly those who do not
receive remittances from abroad and are dependent solely for their
livelihoods either on livestock or rain-fed agriculture.
The opposition parties are crying foul that the government should not
be distributing food but should "let independent aid agencies feed
people" and the government, in turn, is demonising the opposition as a
bunch of troublemakers, hurling as many accusations as possible, in
hopes that some or all of them will stick, even if they're patently
contradictory.
In a propoganda war like this, the government has always the upper
hand because the opposition parties are deprived of free access to
state TV and radio.
Kulmiye party officials are expected to issue a press statement of
some sort tomorrow.
Newsdesk
Somaliland Globe
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