29 Nov. 2012
First
thoughts of international election observation team assembled by
Progressio, DPU and Somaliland Focus
(UK) for Somaliland’s local council elections on November 28th. The team of 50 observers from
18 countries observed voting at 20% of the more than 1,700 polling
stations, visiting 15 of the 21 districts across the country where the election
took place, and followed up by witnessing station counts through the evening.
Team members are continuing to observe counting and tabulation ahead of final
results.
The
mission follows previous observations of elections in Somaliland in 2002, 2005 and 2010, which observers were
able to judge free and fair. The 2010 presidential poll was especially
notable for the peaceful and smooth transfer of power on the defeat of
an incumbent.
This poll is especially
significant in that it will shape Somaliland’s political landscape by determining which three
parties contest national elections for the next decade.
With
a fuller team assessment to come in early December, preliminary indications
suggest that, despite some reports of violence, and no voting taking place in
some disputed districts in the country’s east, Somaliland’s electorate
has, once again, turned out with enthusiasm and in large numbers.
Particularly
heartening has been wide participation by female voters, a boost in numbers of female candidates
and, thanks to the lowering of the qualifying age, youthful candidates
standing in significant numbers. However, at this interim stage, a few
concerns have emerged, including, once again, apparent attempts at underage
and multiple voting.
Observers have also reported excessive use of force by security
forces outside polling stations in some areas;
some poor organisation surrounding the electoral process, including
delayed opening of polling stations; insufficient electoral materials; and
technical problems with voter safeguards, such as the ink designed to prevent
multiple voting.
Fuller
consideration of these matters awaits our interim report. In the meantime, the
team encourages Somaliland’s National Electoral Commission to ensure a transparent
and accurate tabulation process and declaration of final results. With the
stakes so high, there is potential for post-poll disputes.
Steve
Kibble, the mission’s joint co-ordinator, said: “We commend the National
Electoral Commission for ensuring that voting has gone ahead on November 28th as scheduled. Now we look forward to a
peaceful conclusion to the process.?
A press conference will be held
at the Hotel Maan-Soor, Hargeisa on December 3rd at 9am
Notes to Editors
1.
For further information or to arrange an interview with a member of the coordination team, please
contact Conrad Heine in Somaliland on + 252 2 486 5255 / media@somalilandfocus.org.uk, or in London Lucy
Jenkinson on 020 7326 2011 / lucyj@progressio.org.uk , or Tim Aldred on 020 7326 2003 /
2. Somaliland declared
unilateral independence from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of Somalia?s
government. It remains internationally
unrecognised.
3. The joint mission follows on
from similar missions to observe Somaliland´s inaugural local elections in
2002, followed by the parliamentary elections in 2005, judged by
observers as “basically free and fair”, and the presidential election in
2010 http://www.progressio.org.uk/sites/default/files/Somalilandelections-2010-report.pdf , which saw an
orderly transfer of power and was judged ?a peaceful expression
of popular will?.
4.
The mission has been invited by Somaliland?s National Electoral Commission (NEC), and funded by Britain?s
Department for International Development (DFID). It will follow up with
a post-poll interim report to the NEC and donors, with the final report
to follow in early 2013.
5.
A pre-election assessment of the conditions for the local elections took place in 2012 and can be viewed here:http://www.progressio.org.uk/sites/progressio.org.uk/files/Preparing-for-localelections-
Sld-2012.pdf
6.
For more information about Progressio, please seewww.progressio.org.uk and about Somaliland Focus, seewww.somalilandfocus.org.uk.
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