Hargeisa — The upper house of parliament in Somalia's breakaway republic of Somaliland has refused to endorse another term extension for President Dahir Riyale, Radio Garowe reports.

The House of Guurti, the upper house of Somaliland's parliament, met in the capital Hargeisa on Friday and discussed two options to break the political deadlock over this month's cancelled presidential election.

Mr. Saleban "Gal" Mohamud, the Guurti chairman, told reporters afterwards that Guurti MPs voted to pressure President Riyale to enter into negotiations with opposition parties instead of endorsing a third term extension.

Opposition supporters who had gathered outside the parliament building expressed joy as the Guurti decision was announced.

Guurti MPs have voted to extend President Riyale's five-year term two times since the presidential election originally scheduled for May 2008. The Somaliland election commission, which delayed the presidential election scheduled for Sep. 29, has not formally announced a new date for the election.

It is the first time that Somaliland's upper house of parliament, which is modeled on the UK House of Lords, has rejected a term extension for the Somaliland president.

On Sep. 12, protestors clashed with Somaliland police in Hargeisa as the election crisis erupted into violent riots and underscored public resentment for President Riyale's machinations to delay the presidential election.

Somaliland unilaterally declared independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally.