Somaliland
Somaliland: Local elections will be tough test for democracy
September 4, 2012 · 37 Comments
Somaliland will need to overcome several obstacles if it is to successfully hold local elections this year, according to a new report from Progressio.
The report, Preparing for local elections in Somaliland: Plans, challenges and progress (1MB PDF), says that obstacles to credible elections include a high level of complexity in the planned process, and recent challenges to press freedom.
However, the delay in holding the elections – originally planned for April and now scheduled for November 2012 – means that improvements could be put in place before the elections if the political will is there to do so, says the report.
Progressio’s Steve Kibble, who co-authored the report with Michael Walls, says: “These elections are a crucial test for the democratisation process in Somaliland. If they go well, they could increase local accountability and give the poeple of Somaliland more ownership of the political process.
“We hope that this report will help all involved to focus on working together to overcome the challenges and ensure that the elections are a success.”
The report is based on pre-election assessment visits to Somaliland by Steve Kibble in February/March and Michael Walls in July. It concludes that free and fair elections are achievable but considerable preparatory work is still required.
Issues include the logistical difficulty of running the elections with an ‘open list’ – which could mean upwards of 200 candidates in Hargeisa District alone, leading to long ballot papers, potential time delays in the voting process, and problems in counting and verifying votes.
The lack of a robust voter registration system could also lead to issues such as multiple voting.
There are also concerns about the process of assessing new ‘political associations’, which are vying to join the three existing authorised political parties and so be able to participate in the elections. According to the report, there is “the potential for six political assocations to join the three existing political parties to contest the elections, and for each of those nine parties/associations to stand a candidate in every seat”.
Recent and continuing challenges to press freedom also pose a barrier to legitimate elections, and there are worries that recent gains in promoting women’s involvement in democratic processes could be undermined by the ‘open list’ system.
Despite highlighting these concerns, the report makes recommendations and suggestions for improvements by a number of key players, including the government of Somaliland, the National Electoral Commission (NEC), political parties and associations, civil society organisations, and the international community including donors.
Michael Walls says: “Our hope is that this report will help encourage all concerned to pull together and ensure that these elections become another significant milestone in Somaliland’s progress towards democratic accountability.”
Preparing for local elections in Somaliland: Plans, challenges and progress (1MB PDF) by Steve Kibble of Progressio and Somaliland Focus (UK) and Michael Walls of the Development Planning Unit of University College London and Somaliland Focus (UK), published 31 August 2012 by Progressio.
The research and the publication of the report were funded by the British Embassy in Addis Ababa.
Source: Progressio
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By goth Mohamed
Tags: democrazy, local elections, Proressio, Somaliland
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Everything considered, I have full confidence that the NEC, as the main authority mandate,
would be capable to come out clean with the elections. The NEC have the knowledge and
experience to execute their expertise in dealings with all the related issues and full trust should
be conferred on them to do the necessary.
Cheers.
Somaliland's democracy is not perfect but it is far the best one in the horn. Where in the horn of Africa do you get free election every 5 years? And its system has worked very well for us over the past two decades thanks to our brainy house of guurti and politician. So well done Somaliland. Only one advice stop the bloody corruption and use the money wisely where it needs the most.
Please, give credit where it due. Only, in Somaliland, of all the horn of African Countries that the true legitimate elections were always held.
Can anyone give me one example, which country in horn of African does the true democracy one man/woman , one vote exist except for Somaliland?
IC please wake up and smell the true coffee called Somaliland.
Somaliland needs stathood, unity and soverignty needs urgent salvation from Siilaanyo who unwisely and foolishley decided to cash on it by attempting once aagain associate Somaliland with the falied state of socalled Somalia, whom the whole wold sees as mere wild tribes who needed forces from other backward African nation to keep them apart.
well said too
Back in 2006 when i was in high school i voted for the first time in my life, it was the parliamentary elections, among hundreds of other voters i casted my vote, it gave me a glimpse of what true democracy is and what it means for an ordinary person to be given the freedom of choice to elect whoever he supports in an absolute secrecy , yes somaliland is a young (yet to be recognized) nation that stunned the world with the only true democracy in Africa when it held several high profile elections without international aid, described by the international vigilantes as free and fair (a statement which is almost impossible to be heard in an African election process). but come on my fellow somalilanders the article highlighted several important points we need to overcome in order to further strengthen our young growing democracy, points that if we full fill can take us to a higher level and gain us more international respect, let us make the most out of this one and take more ownership of the political process as citizens. Good luck somaliland
very well said
I had a good dream last night.It was about The Presidential Election that soon will take place in Mogadishu.The last two candidates were Shiekh Shariif and Mr Cadoow.Guest what! Dr Cadoow won the Election.
Ladys and jentelman Our Next 4 years President Of Greater Somalia will be Cadooooooooow.The whole World is watching and sending observers to Mogadishu "the city of villas".
Pse explain the clan and background history of dr cadoow???
Cheers.
Farole should be the president of somalia
kkkkkkk dar00d foqol dar00d. retarded dar00d mentality .
Farmaajo, sheikh Sharief, Abdiwali or Samatar is the next president, I don't know who the heck is Cadow,
I prefer Hawiyee, Marehan or Dir president NO Harti.
Khaatumo citizen you should find yourself for some other name, you carrying our name yet against Hartis or maybe your one of those half isaaq Dhulos AKA half snake
Cudon, if somaliland and Somalia unites still there won't be any khatumo state
Cudon can we atleast not fight when we in SLpress we dhulba-hante are tired of fighting back home loool
the reason I don't want Hartis to rule is because Hawiye won't eccept them, Abdullahi yusuf is a good example.. we need southern clans to get thier acts together, markaa qabiilkaaga uun lagama fakaro but what's good for the country, Dir especially isaaqs should be PM or president to feel included.
plus show little respect inadeer dee people with mixed tribes are the best I'm half Dhulba-hante half Habr Yoonis and proud lool
soz your half isaaq? no wonder you're so nice to these mop heads.
khaatumo citizen in somalia no one thinks like that, everyone cares what is good for their people and their region. so I would vote for Abdiwali he's a harti brother.
PuntlandGeezer no wonder yeah we call them half-snakes.
cudon + PuntlandGeezer
Stop getting jealous because she got bigger brain than you two put together. It's the habar yoonis brain hehe
Cudon caadi iska dhig i'm still Harti like somalis say, you are who your dad is loool jks, I want what is good for all somalis not just our tiny tribe, Abdiwali is good, young and educated but southerns might not like him and things get just worse.
PuntlandGeezer I'm nice to everyone Darood,Isaaq, Hawiye and etc.
loool Amal nice one maybe I got it from my mom,, she is truly my hero
None of the 4 would be suitable and would beyond all reasonable doubts be
counter-productive for obvious reasons,in my view.
Farole???Forget it.
Cheers.
@Jabuutian
you sell out piece of traitor who hardy doesn't even speak af somali if you really care bout those muppets from hargeisa we be happy to reunite you with them, we will send them over to Jabuuti so you teach them french.!!!!
dar00dgeezer. you dar00d scum. pirateland is on the brink of collapsing and we will not take your dar00d refugees.
Puntlandgeezer,,,you don't understand politics, do you? Same as Puntland and Somalia are
bound together Garowe/Mogadiscio, so are the Somaliland and Djibouti bound together
(Hargeisa Djibouti). This happening would also influence the Somali-Ethiopian 5th Province
State and Ethiopia would then peacefully enjoy peaceful good normal relations with trio dual
track. Somalia bordering NFD of Kenya would then become another political issue to both
Ethiopia and Kenya. The point am putting forward is good for all the politics of the Horn and
beyond.
Cheers.
this isnt bout politics your just qabilist your playing the clan card. Jabuuti = Issa & somaliland = isaaq and gadabuursi are all from the Dir clan. your such a hypocrite you deny the rights of khaatumo state for wanting to reunite with puntland and at the same you support the idea of a united Dir family.
Note: every clan wants to stay with its clan.
This is about politics and Govts not about Puntland Qabilist. Think about it dude,
Hargeisa and Djibouti are one family tree…the two capitals are also the majority of
the 5th Somali-Ethiopian Province State. Loser, think again and submit to my good
judgement or else keep on yelling dirty and cheap tribalist Harti slogans that won't
lead no where lol!.
Cheers.
Mo cheers is living in fairytale, as soon as Sii'lanyo is gone he'll be the first one to support greater somalia believe me loool
Dead wrong honey. Silaayo has my respect only as a human being and President
of Somaliland. He's nothing to me if he's not doing his job as a public servant.
Cheers.
somaliland and Djibouti share a lot of things in common same culture, same accent & most of all being Dir & there's nothing wrong with that but that goes too for Las Anod & Garoowe as being harti but you oppose the idea of all harti under one greater puntland but at the same you want to link up with your other Dir counterpart from ethiopian & Jabuuti to create one big Dir republic state. your such a hypocrite i just knew it from the start that you were the biggest qablist. how dare you divide us into mini tribal states? wallahi you should be ashamed of yourself man, somalis are homogeneous; one ethnic, one culture, one language.
this comment is for mohamed cheers!!!
Puntlandgeezer, true nothing wrong with tribalism if used in the general universal
common context or good. Let me be clear to you dude. I have full respect for all Darod
whereever their domicile exists within the 5star Somalis, the same way I do for all
other Somalis. Am only trying to express events of Country and Nationwise.
E.g. Somaliland,Djibouti,Somalia,Somali Galbeed, NFD etc etc. However, looking
back what happened, specially between Somaliland and Somalia since their
amalgamation in the 1960s to current, you can't blame me for speaking out my birth right
freedom to express what happened and who was/is responsible more than who else!.
You know what I mean yea?. Dude you and I failed to agree long time ago, and I just
can't see how we could see events eye to eye. We have different views on almost
everything.
Cheers.
yeah you're damn right we are like milk and water, milk is pure while water is just stays water. I am a big supporter of Somali unity, and a greater Somalia but on the other your a separatists, i promote the idea of somaliweyn while you promote the idea of disintegrating somalia into mini-tribal states but still i don't oppose somaliland lyk I said millions of times before somaliland can withdraw from somalia but under tribal rules.
Puntlandgeezer,
Milk and water? you chose milk which comes through so many filthy ingridents,
(read the holy books) but good, but to compare to water(read the holy books)
when God created the Earth and all beings, water was also created to sanitize,
nourish, and make everything alive and lively. Rains, rivers, fountains, big
oceans, you name the importance of water. Therefore you take the milk and am
honoured to take the water. See how naive and silly you tend to be always.
Stay away, am the water and your milky stingy muppet showoffs would have no chance to overwhelm my water powerfuls lol.
Cheers.
Your talkin out of your ass again? Like I said somaliland independence will be through tribal borders.
In this comment? it shows straight away your are looser I am very sorry for that comment talking out of your ass really that is not a good word May the living lord forgive you Ameeen.
Well Somaliland is a good example for Africa on how Somaliland handles the elections fair and free.
Somaliland's Democracy is on the driver's seat is going on the right track. Somaliland's Government is not corrupt and it has a tendency to deal with corruption and that's how the Somaliland Election process goes it 100% clean, halal, no cheating, corruption or mayham on the outcome of the Elections. I got say on Nov 28th 2012 Let the best candidates win and Good luck on the Municipal Election. God Bless Somaliland.
WE WILL SURELY FOLLOW SOMALILAND FOOTSTEPS AND BRING PEACE AND STABILITY TO SOMALIA….GOOD LUCK TO OUR SOMALILAND BROTHERS AND SISTERS