Chatham House Discusses About Somaliland

[Jacaylbaro]

Somaliland: Democracy Threatened

 

Wednesday 30 September 2009 13:15 to 14:15

Location

 

Chatham House, London

Participants

 

Speaker: Michael Walls, Coordinator, International Election Observation Team, Somaliland Presidential Election; Chair, Somaliland Focus (UK); Lecturer, Development Planning Unit, UCL

Respondent: Quman Jibril

Chair: Clive Betts MP

 

Type: Research and other events

 

Somaliland currently faces a critical constitutional and political dilemma as the presidential elections, scheduled to take place on 27 September, have been postponed for the third time with no new date announced. The President's and Vice-President's already extended terms in office expire on 29 October, and there are no constitutional means for addressing the power vacuum which will be left in the absence of an election.

 

For a region which is one of the few secure and democratic territories in the Horn of Africa, the failure of Somaliland's political system could result in instability, a more authoritarian governance system and contribute to the further deterioration of an already unstable part of the African continent.

 

Michael Walls will provide his analysis of the crisis and discuss why the Somali tradition of dialogue and consensus-building may be the only real avenue for resolution.

[Jacaylbaro]

Download and read full report HERE

[Jacaylbaro]

Summary Points

 

- Somaliland currently faces a critical constitutional and political dilemma. Successful negotiation of this dilemma would mark a significant step forward in the evolution of the Somaliland political system, but failure with consequent instability and a more authoritarian governance system remains a distinct possibility.

 

- The presidential election scheduled for 27 September has again been postponed, with no new date yet announced. The President's and Vice- President's already extended terms in office expire on 29 October 2009, and there is currently no constitutional means for addressing the power vacuum that will arise in the absence of an election one month before that date.

 

- The National Electoral Commission's (NEC) technical ability to organise a free and fair election has been widely questioned, exacerbating the political and constitutional problems.

 

- In the absence of a constitutional remedy, the Somali tradition of dialogue and consensus-building remains the only real avenue for resolution of the crisis. A recently agreed Memorandum of Understanding establishes the conditions in which that dialogue might take place, but the hardest decisions remain to be made.

 

- Somaliland is one of the few secure and democratic territories in the Horn of Africa. The destabilising effect of a failure to successfully tackle the current crisis can only contribute to further deterioration in an already unstable part of the African continent.

[Cowke]

Didn't they give any somafilanders any air-time on tv? lol. Cuz they discussed puntland on t.v at chatham house. Anyways the constitutional crisis in hargeisa is not a big deal, rayale is the new dictator and you know it and everyone knows it. Don't close your eyes to it and act like this ruthless man will just happily get off the chair after failing to so 3 times.

[RedSea]

^Go back to baadiye, you troll.

[Mr. Somalia]

^^

 

Go back to dugsi, you damiin who doesn't even know the full name of the Holy Preophet(pbup)!

 

p.s

cool strategy on your part-- to lay low for a few weeks and resurface with a different alias, in the hopes of getting the vultures off your back.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

indeed somaliland democracy daahir riyaale ku tuntay , wa iska caadii wuu xukun jecladay kamana dagayo imik udub waxay ka shaqeyneysa uun sii ay doorashadu uu dhiciin 2 sannoh bay marraysa doorashadii xiligeedii la soo dhaafay lol.

[Mr. Somalia]

^^^

 

LOL @ "wa iska caadi"!

 

Xaaji, awalba yaa ku baryayey adiga?

[RedSea]

Originally posted by Mr. Somalia:

^^

 

Go back to

dugsi

, you

damiin

who doesn't even know the full name of the Holy Preophet(pbup)!

 

p.s

cool strategy on your part-- to lay low for a few weeks and resurface with a different alias, in the hopes of getting the vultures off your back.

That was so random but not good enough! Now go away you restless troll. SOL is tired of nac nacayaal adoo miidhan ah.

[Mr. Somalia]

^^

Haye, I will go away:

 

Laakin ma ka heshay Xaajiga's surrender when he finally proclaimed "waa iska caadi" in regards to Riyaale's mugging.

[RedSea]

^Sing and dance.

[Mr. Somalia]

^^

 

[RedSea]

that was So boring! Can I have my money back?

[Jacaylbaro]

Ciyaalka, iskaga baxa meeshan adeer.

[Poker]

JB, What the h.ell are you doing here this late couz? Can't sleep huh?