The newly appointed Somaliland electoral commission has named a new chairman to lead the seven member team that will oversee the much-delayed elections.

The new team, whose members are jointly appointed by Somaliland's president, parliament and opposition parties, were last week unanimously approved the state's parliament, ending prolonged controversy that surrounded the nomination of the members.

Isse Yussuf Mohammed was appointed the chairman while Ali Khadar Hassan Osman from the opposition KULMIYE party will be assisting him to undertake the electoral process that will end the row between the opposition and the incumbent party.

The new team will take over from their former colleagues who left the office over dispute between the government and the opposition that led to deadly demonstration which claimed people in Hargeisa on September. The team will also inherit broke commission, which has a debut of more than US$500,000 to pay.

Somaliland, located in northwestern Somalia, unilaterally declared independence from the rest of the Horn of Africa country in 1991 but has lacked international recognition.