The Somaliland Local Elections Thread

[Carafaat]

XX and co wants us to belief that the youth(70% of SL) prefer old SNM mujaahids like Muuse Biixi, Hassan Ciise and Cirro.

[Carafaat]

check the polls at www.somalilandsun.com. Kulmiye is leading, with Ucid in the second place with 24%.

[Alpha Blondy]

LOL@inaadeero,

 

you can't imagine the number of Kulmiye candidates who have the acronym Muj before their names on their campaign posters. this party of senile ex-soviet trained guerilla warfare SNMers are practically out of touch. the somaliland some of them allegedly 'liberated' has changed and with such changes comes new thinking and policies. 65% of somalilanders are under the age of 30. people do not need to hear stories of conquest but desperately want JOBS, SECURITY, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT and JUSTICE. the cronies/investors of kulmiye are being rewarded for their allegiance! the disparities between the rich and poor continues to grown on a monthly basis. press freedoms are being curtailed. our democratic values are being abused. our national aspirations have been held hostage to outside interests.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Ceeb ceeb Madaxweynaha yaan la cayin

 

Waryaa carafaat what is ur beef with Kulmiye i thought u liked their foreign policy udub is gone never coming back they are history:D

 

jamaal will not win even if he comes out , faisal will try for a 3rd time:D

 

xaqsoor wadani and Kulmiye it is

[Carafaat]

XAAJI check the poll on Somaliland sun. UCID is 2nd and couples more procent from taking the lead.

[RedSea]

go Ummad.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Masuuliyiin & Ciidamo Somaliland ah oo sida Sanaadiiq codbixin oo ku wajahan Sanaag xili Madaxweyne Faroole ku mashquulsanyahay Qardho (Warbixin).NOVEMBER 25 2012

 

 

Astaanta Gudiga Doorashooyinka Somaliland .

Dubai (HM) 28 Nov, 2012 ayaa la filayaa inay ka dhacaan doorashooyinkii Golayaasha Deegaanka Somaliland guud ahaan Gobolada & Degmooyinka Maamulkaasi ka kooban yahay.

 

Doorashooyinka waxaa ku loolami doona 7 Urur oo kala ah Kulmiye, Ucid, Wadani, Umada, Xaqsoor, Dalsan & Rayas sadexda Urur ee ugu codadka bata kuraasta Golaha Deegaanka ayaa noqon doona Xisbiyada rasmiga ah ee Soomaaliland tobanka sano ee soo socoda .

Waa Doorashadii ugu xamaasada badnayd ee soo marta Soomaaliland waxaana lagu bixiyey malaayiin doolar lacagaas oo ka kala imanaya Wadamada Deeqda bixiya ee Somaliland ka taageera dhinaca doorashooyinka, Xukuumada, Ururada, Musharaxiinta & Taageerayaashooda.

 

Gobolada Sanaag & Hayland.

 

 

Waa Khariidada dhulka Puntland Meelaha aanu saarnay baraha madowga ah waa meelaha laga codayn doono doorashooyinka Golayaasha Deegaanka Somaliland waana 85% Dhulka Gobolada Sanaag, Sool, Cayn & Hayland qiyaastii.

Gobolada Sanaag & Hayland oo ka tirsan Deegaanada Puntland hase yeeshee ay sheegato Xukuumada Soomaliland ayaa ka mid ah Gobolada loo qorsheeyey inay ka dhacaan Doorashooyinka Golayaasha Deegaanku.

 

Degmooyinka Badhan, Laasqoray & Dhahar ayaa loo qorsheeyey inay doorashooyinku ka dhacaan waxaana si aad ah ugu xisaabtamaya codadka Degmooyinkaas Xisbiyada Kulmiye, Wadani & Ucid.

Dhamaan 7 Urur ee ku tartamaya Doorashadan ayaa Xafiisyo ka furtay Degmooyinka Badhan & Dhahar waloow ay ku guul daraysteen inay ka sameeyaa Degmooyinkaas isu soo baxyo lagu taageerayo ururada mudadii uu socday Ololaha doorashooyinku hadana waxay ka wadeen Olole mid kastaa dhankiisa ku kasbanayey Dadweynaha.

 

Qorshaha Xukuumadda Somaliland.

 

Xukuumadda Somaliland oo u aqoonsan 1 Gobol Degmooyinka Badhan, Laasqoray & Dhahar ayaa u kala qaaday Gobolka Sanaag laba qaybood kuwaas oo kala ah :-

 

1- Degmadda Dhahar.

 

2- Degmooyinka Badhan & Laasqoray .

Degmadda Dhahar.

 

Degmadda Dhahar waxay u jirtaa qiyaastii 35 Km Degmadda Qardho ee Gobolka Karkaar oo uu hada ku sugan yahay Madaxweynaha Puntland Dr. Cabdiraxmaan Sh. Maxamed Maxamuud (faroole) , degmadan waxay Somaliland ku leedahay awood weyn.

 

Wefti uu hogaamin doono Wasiirka Deegaanka & Horumarinta Reer Miyiga Somaliland uuna ka mid yahay Taliyaha Ciidamada Somaliland ee Gobolka Sanaag Coll: Muuse Jaamac ayna ku jiraan Wasiiro, Xildhibaan, Saraakiil Ciidan & Saraakiil ka tirsan Ururada ayaa booqan doona Degmadaas 27 Nov, iyagoo wada sanaadiiqdii lagu codayn lahaa.

 

Wasiirka Deegaanka & Horumarinta Reer Miyiga Maxamed Siciid Maxamuud (Gacamay) oo caawa ay la xiriirtay Horseed Media isagoo ku sugan Degmadda Ceerigaabo ayaa xaqiijiyey socdaalkiisa uu ku tegi doono Dhahar wuxuuna sheegay inay geyn doonaan sanaadiiqda cod bixinta.

 

Wuxuu ku eedeeyey Xukuumada Puntland inay isku deyeyso inay ku dhex dagaalanto Magaaladda Dhahar oo ay degan yihiin Dad shacab ah isagoo sheegay in ay maanta magaaladda soo galeen Ciidamo ka tirsan Puntland hase yeeshee aysan ka hor istaagi doonin in Degmadaas looga codeeyo Somaliland waa sida uu yiri e.

 

Dhaq dhaqaaqa Ciidamada Somaliland.

 

 

Ciidamada Somaliland

Goob jooge ku sugan tuulada Booda cad oo wax yar u jirta Degmadda Dhahar ayaa u xaqiijiyey Horseed Media inay maanta magaaladaas oo degeen Ciidamo hubaysan oo ka socda Somaliland wuxuu sheegay inay wataan Ciidamadaasi Gaadiid dagaal oo kor u dhaafaya 40.

 

Goob jooguhu wuxuu sheegay inay Ciidamadaasi ka Degeen tuulada ilaa 3 aag ayna maanta gelinkii danbe si caadi ah tuulada wax uga gadanayeen.

 

Ciidamada gaaray tuulada Booda cad ayaa xoogoodu ka yimaadeen dhinaca Degmadda Xudun halka qaar kale oo xoojin ah ay ka yimaadeen Tuulada Biyo guduud.

 

Sidoo kale goob jooge ku sugan Dhahar ayaa u sheegay Horseed Media in 7 maalmood ee ugu danbaysay ay saraakiisha Ciidamada Somaliland ee ku sugan Degmadda Dhahar ay wadeen dhaq dhaqaaqyo iyagoo ku wargeliyey Ciidamada ku qoran Degmadaas oo tiro ahaan gaaraya 700 oo Askari inay iska soo xaadiriyaan Xero Ciidamada Somaliland ku leeyihiin koonaha Magaalada.

 

Wuxuu xaqiijiyey ku dhowaad 300 oo Askari inay caawa ku hoydeen xerada & Magaaladda dhexdeeda kuwaas oo loo qorsheeyey inay soo dhoweyaan weftiga.

 

Dhaqdhaqaaqa Ciidamada Puntland.

 

 

Wasiir ku xigeenka Amniga Puntland caawa wuxuu ku hoyday Dhahar.

Maanta gelinkii danbe waxaa magaaladda Dhahar galay 4 gaari oo nooca dagaalka ah oo u wato Wasiir ku xigeenka Amniga Puntland Cabdijamaal Cismaan kuwaas oo hada ilaalo ka haya Guriga uu ka degay Magaaladda waxaa kale oo la xaqiijiyey inay joogaan dibada Magaaladda 5 Gaari kuwaas oo fariisin ka samaystay meel aan sida uga fogeyn magaalada oo dhinaca bariga ka xigta.

 

Ciidamadan ayaa isugu yira kuwa ilaalada Xeebaha, Ilaalada gaarka ah ee Madaxweynaha & Ilaadada Wasiir ku xigeenka Amniga & Wasiirka Arrimaha Gudaha, Horay ugama joogin Degmadda Dhahar Ciidamo ka tirsan maamulka Puntland marka laga reebo 30 Askari oo kuwa booliska ah .

 

Ciidamada Daraawiishta ee ku qoran Gobolka Hayland ayaa ahaa ku dhowaad 200 Askari hase yeeshee Askartaas ma ahayn kuwo ka hawl gelayey Gobolka ilaa bartamihii 2010 waxaana loo qaaday dhinaca tuulada Galgala si ay ugula dagaalamaan Kooxaha Sh. Attam ee halkaas ku jiray qaarkoodna waxay ilaalo ahaan ula socdeen Wasiir ku xigeenka Amniga Cabdijamaal tan & markii la magcaabay.

 

Cadaadiska saaran Wasiir Cabdijamaal.

 

Wasiir Cabdijamaal waxaa saaran cadaadis weyn Waa markii ugu horaysay oo booqdo Dhahar tan iyo May, 2011 markaas oo isagoo dhexmarayey magaalada ay Rasaas ooda kaga qaadeen dhalinyaro ka caraysnaa hawlgalka uu Wasiiku ka wadey Magaaladda Galgala.

 

Waxaa kale oo muran weyni ka taagan yahay 4 Gaari oo nooca Dagaalka ah oo qurba joogta Beesha degta Dhahar u soo gadeen Ciidamo loo xilsaaray dhuxul joojinta gawaaridaas oo uu Wasiirku u kaxaystay Dagaalkii buuraha Galgala kuwaas oo labo ka mid ah lagu gubay Dagaalkaas .

 

Sidoo kale dadka Deegaanka ayaa ku eedaynaya inuu ka mid ahaa hogaamiyayaashii horay sanduuqyada codbixinta u keeni jiray Dhahar wakhtigii uu xiriirka la lahaa Maamulka Somaliland intaan loo magcaabin Wasiir ku xigeenka Amniga Puntland aysana maanta ka yeeli doonin inuu hor istaago .

 

Waxaa kale lagu dhaleeceeyey hawl gal ay ka sameeyeen 5 Nov, 2012 Degmada Dhahar Ciidamo isugu jira kuwa PIS & Ciidamo isaga ilaalo u ahaa hawlgalkaas oo uu ku dhintay wiil Arday ahaa (Halkan ka AKhri hawlgalkaas).

 

Suurtagalnimada Dagaal dhaca & Waan waan socota Odayaasha.

 

Degmada Dhahar oo ay mar sii horaysay ku dagaalameen labada maamul ee Puntland & Somaliland waxaa suurtagal ah in mar labaad dagaal ka dhaco maadama labada dhinac ay wadaan dhaq dhaqaaqyo ciidan.

 

Odayaasha Degmadda Dhahar ayaa hada ku hawlan sidii aanu Degmada uga dhaceen wax dagaal ah iyagoo isku deyeya labada dhinac inay ku qanciyaan inaysan wad dagaal ah ridin.

 

Oday ka mid ah odayaasha ayaa caawa u sheegay Horseed Media isagoo ku sugan Dhahar inay galabta la kulmeen Wasiir ku xigeenka Amniga Puntland ayna ka codsadeen inuu isaga baxo Magaalada Isaga & Ciidamada uu wataa si looga hortago iska hor’imaad halkaas ka dhaca.

 

Degmooyinka Badhan & Laasqoray.

 

 

Wasiirka Gaashaandhiga Somaliland Axmed Cadami asal ahaan wuxuu ka soo jeeda Gobolka Sanaag.

Aaga labaad ee Xukuumada Somaliland geyn doonto sanaadiiqda codbixinta ayaa ah Degmooyinka Badhan & Laasqoray kuwaas oo ay gaari doonaan 27 bisha wefti uu hogaaminayo Wasiirka Gaashaandhiga Somaliland Axmed Xaaji. Cadami.

 

Sida ay u sheegeen goob joogayaal ku sugan Gobolka Sanaag HM waxaa weftiga cadami wehelin doona Ciidamo ka tirsan kuwa Somaliland kuwaas xoojin doona ciidamdii horay uga sii joogay Gobolka waxayna ka kala iman doonaan Ciidamdada xoojinta ahi Saldhigyada Shinbiraale & Biyo Guduud.

 

Waxaa la xaqiijiyey in hada Ciidamada dheeraadka ah la isugu keenay Tuulada Shinbiraale kuwaas oo maalinimada beri ah la fili doono inay u soo dhaqaaqaan dhanka Degmadda Badhan .

 

Xukuumadda Puntland uma dirin Degmooyinkan Ciidamo xoojin ah & Masuuliyiin toona waxaana aad u yar tirada & tayada Ciidamadii horay uga sii joogay Degmooyinkan mana ahan kuwo awood u leh inay hor istaagaan sanaadiiqda codbixinta Somaliland.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Fursadaha Somaliland.

 

Maamulka Somaliland wakhtigan wuxuu ka faa’iidaysanayaa fursado dhowr ah waxaana ka mid ah Beel ka mid ah Beelaha dega Degmooyinka Badhan & Laasqoray oo sheegtay inay si rasmi ah ugu biirtay maamulkaas, taageerada loo hayo Somaliland oo kordheysay sanadihii ugu danbeeyey & Wasiirkii Arrimaha Gudaha Puntland Gen. Cabdulaahi Axmed Jaamac (Ilkajiir) oo Dalka ka maqan.

 

Beesha Aadan Siciid.

 

 

Isimada Beesha Aadan Siciid.

Beesha Aadan Siciid (Cumar,eeh reer maakhir waa mid ka mid ah Beelaha dega Degmooyinka Laasqoray & Badhan waxayna hada haysataa Gudoomiyayaasha Degmooyinkaas labada Maamul ee Puntland & Somaliland .

 

Bishii Sep, 2012 Shir ay beeshu ku yeelatay Degaanka Caroweyn waxay si cad u sheegtay inay kalsoonidii kala noqotay Maamulka Puntland ayna si rasmi ah ugu biireen Maamulka Somaliland iyagoo wefti u dirsaday xaga Somaliland.

 

Weftigii ay u dirsadeen Somaliland wuxuu la kulmay Madaxweyne Siilaanyo wada xaajood kadibna waxaa beesha la siyey Wasiir ku xigeenka Macdanta , 3 Gaari oo nooca Dagaalka ah & 100 Askari oo loo qarameeyey taas oo saray u sii qaaday saamaynta Somaliland ku leedahay Gobolka.

 

Maashaariicda Horumarinta.

 

Somaliland sanadkii tegay ee 2011 waxay Gobolka Sanaag ka fulisay mashaariic horumarineed oo lagu bixiyey lacag dhan $ 350,000 kuwaas oo isugu jiray Suuqyo, Maxkamado, Iskuulo, Goobo Caafimaad & Saldhigyo Booliska taas oo saray u qaaday taageeradii uu maamulkaasi ku lahaa Gobolka halka Xukuumada Puntland aysan sanadkii 2011 ka fulin Gobolka 1 Mashruuc oo dhinaca Horumarinta ah talaabadaas oo sii wiiqday kalsoonidii lagu qabay.

 

Maqnaashaha Wasiirkii Arrimaha Gudaha.

 

mudo ku dhow 1 bil Wasiirkii Arrimaha Gudaha Puntland Gen. Cabdulaahi Axmed Jaamac (Ilkajiir) oo asal ahaan ka soo jeeda Gobolka Sanaag kuna leh taageero weyn wuxuu ku maqan yahay wadanka dibadiisa taasina waxay curyaaminaysaa talaabo kasta oo maamulka kaga hortegi lahaa in doorashooyinka Golayaasha Deegaanka Somaliland looga codeeyo Goboolka Sanaag.

 

Dadaalo socda.

Gudoomiyaha Gobolka Sanaag Maxamuud Jaamac Ciyoon oo caawa ay la xiriirtay Horseed Media ayaa ka gaabsaday inuu ka hadlo arrimahaas wuxuuse qiray in Somaliland ay Gobolka ku soo daabushay Ciidamo faro badan .

 

Gudoomiyuhu wuxuu sheegay inay maalinimada beri (Isniin 26 Nov) ay isugu iman doonaan shir deg deg ah Waxgaradka Gobolka & Laamaha Amaanku si looga wada xaajooga wixii laga yeeli lahaa sandaaiiqda codbixinta Somaliland ee ku soo wajahan Gobolka.

 

Wixii war ah ee ku soo kordha arrimahan kala soco Horseed Media.

[Jacaylbaro]

The Somaliland Municipal elections will take place on November 28, 2012. There are seven political parties who are contesting and nominated candidates in this election; it is the second time the Municipal elections will take place in Somaliland, the first Municipal election took place in 2002, and that started very successful democratic progress in Somaliland. Since then there has been a Parliamentary election in 2005, and two Presidential Elections in 2003 and 2010; according to the International Election Observers who monitored those elections; the Somaliland elections were conducted freely and fairly based on the International Election standards.

 

The 2012 Municipal election is significant for Somaliland people in many ways; it determines the local leaders i.e. Mayors and City Councilors for Cities, it also determine who are the three parties who will be certified as National Parties based on the number of votes received and those three parties will qualify to contest in the future Parliamentary and Presidential elections over the next ten years, and most importantly this will further strengthen and complete the democratic progress in Somaliland that started in 2002.

 

There is a 55-member strong team of the International Election Observers in Somaliland who are ready to deploy at 1700 polling stations to monitor the Municipal election on November 28. Dr Steve Kibble of Progressio who is the IEO Coordinator said “We are pleased to be in a peaceful environment where issues are resolved by negotiation and discussion and relevant institutions are working towards a free and fair election. We hope this situation continues.” The International Election Observers represent 15 countries including Canada, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, Sweden, Uganda, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

 

President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo who was elected in 2010 and won against an incumbent President Dahir Rayale has called on Somaliland citizens to exercise their right as citizens and cast their ballots to elect local leaders peacefully; and he said “to do so will make our democracy stronger and will protect our liberty, which we have sacrificed so much to obtain.”.

 

Somaliland is an independent sovereign nation, but has not been recognized by the International community yet. Somaliland has achieved peace and stability, democratic progress, and vibrant economy that are improving the standard of living for its people; all of it without any help from the International community. Somaliland contributes to the International efforts to fight piracy and extreme elements in the Horn of Africa.

 

Somaliland will face another test on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 to conduct municipal election peacefully, freely and fairly. I’m confident Somaliland will pass this test on Wednesday again, and I call on all political parties to follow the rules agreed upon, respect the law and order, and accept the results of the election as has been the Somaliland tradition for the past ten years. It is time for the International community to support Somaliland.

 

 

 

Rashid Nur

Somaliland Mission in USA

rashidnur@somaliland.us

www.somaliland.us

[Jacaylbaro]

Somaliland Pre-Election Watch: November 2012 Local Council Elections

 

On November 28, Somalilanders will go to the polls to elect their local municipal council representatives. These are the first local elections to take place in 10 years and are of critical national importance. Three of the seven political parties and associations competing for seats will become Somaliland’s only legally recognized political parties, becoming the only political organizations permitted to compete in elections for the next 10 years. The November poll will feature an open-list voting system and will be the fifth direct vote to take place across Somaliland since 2002.

 

Somaliland’s political process has traditionally been dominated by three political parties, the UCID, KULMIYE and UDUB. In 2011, the new administration of President Ahmed Silanyo of the KULMIYE enacted election laws geared towards opening Somaliland’s political system. The laws allow new political associations to be formed to challenge the three traditional parties in local council elections and therefore compete to be one of the three approved parties going forward. Somaliland’s limit of three official political parties is meant to ensure that parties represent large portions of the population, rather than having a proliferation of smaller parties that are clan or regionally-based.

 

After the change in electoral laws, 15 political associations applied to compete in local council elections but nine were disqualified by the Registration of Political Associations and Approval of Political Parties Committee (RAC) for failing to meet necessary legal requirements. RAC’s disqualification of the nine associations was criticized by the groups as being non-transparent. In explaining their decision, RAC stated that each of the disqualified groups failed to open offices in all regions of Somaliland and failed to provide evidence that they had at least 1,000 members in each region.

 

Of the six associations permitted to field candidates, one new association, NASIYE, withdrew prior to submitting a candidate list. UDUB, Somaliland’s former ruling party, also withdrew in protest, citing bias and lack of transparency on the part of Somaliland’s electoral bodies. As a result, local council elections will be contested by the existing UCID and KULMIYE parties and five new political associations: UMADDA, DALSAN, RAYS, WADANI and XAQSOOR.

 

Political Environment

 

A former British protectorate, Somaliland is a break-away territory that declared independence from Somalia in 1991. It has functioning political and economic systems and has maintained relative stability and growth despite the clan segmentation of its population and the insecurity of neighboring Somalia proper. While Somaliland has thus far successfully maintained a political system that reflects a unique blend of modern democratic principles and the preservation of traditional values, the upcoming local elections have created tensions in the political environment.

 

Some of the political associations disqualified from participating in elections by RAC rejected the ruling and filed suit against the committee, accusing the body of being politically biased and taking action in favor of the ruling KULMIYE party. The case was brought before the Somaliland Supreme Court and in early September the court ruled in favor of RAC, saying its rulings were just and impartial. The UDUB party has also been vocal in accusing electoral bodies of acting in a partisan manner and blocking its participation in the electoral process. These allegations came as a result of RAC rejecting the nomination of Ali Mohamed Waran’ade and Ahmed Haji Dahir to UDUB party leadership, stating that the nominations of both leaders did not originate within the party’s general assembly and therefore contradicted the party’s internal rules. UDUB also cited partisanship as the reason the National Electoral Commission (NEC) denied UDUB’s request to extend the deadline for the submittal of party candidate lists.

 

Finally, concerns have been expressed about potential media bias and traditional elders from Toghdeer region have insisted that the distribution of polling stations unfairly discriminates against their communities, allowing them less of an opportunity to vote than other regions.

 

 

Electoral Processes and Challenges

 

The seven parties and associations competing in local council elections have prepared to take part in the polling process and are now campaigning throughout Somaliland. Under the system established by the NEC, campaigning takes place for four weeks, from October 29 until November 25, with each party designated one day a week on which to campaign and hold political rallies.

 

Even though the law stipulates that voting is direct and secret and that all votes shall be given equal weighting, Somaliland’s local council elections face certain challenges. The elections will be conducted without a voter’s roll. Somaliland’s only existing voters roll was created in 2008 and is considered problematic and out of date. As a result, it was decided that the 2012 local elections would proceed without the use of a voter’s roll, a decision which increases the possibility of under-age, non-resident and double voting, particularly in a country in which the majority of voters have no form of legal identification.

 

Another challenge facing local elections is the institution of an open-list system in which voters vote for an individual candidate rather than for a party, as was previously the case. This has resulted in long ballot papers in which scores of candidates are listed by name and number. Traditionally, candidates have also been identified by a symbol, an important consideration given the largely illiterate population. Long ballot papers that do not include symbols increase the risk of voter confusion, long lines at polling stations and poll worker fatigue.

 

Further, given that these elections will select national parties, NEC has determined that even in cases where a vote for a candidate is void, a ballot can be counted in favor of a particular party if the voter’s intent to vote for a certain party is clear, such as in cases where an individual votes for two or more candidates from the same party/association. This opens the door to different interpretations as to which ballots are valid.

 

Finally, after votes are counted and tabulated by NEC, RAC will be under close scrutiny as it determines which of the seven competing political organizations will qualify as Somaliland’s next three political parties. The Political Party Law stipulates that the three most popular parties that garner a minimum of 20 percent of the vote in each of the six regions will become Somaliland’s next national parties. As this requirement is unlikely to be met by three groups, RAC and the competing political organizations have agreed to a ranking system in which the proportion of votes parties receive in each of the regions will be used to determine which organization becomes one of Somaliland’s three official parties. This may result, however, in a party or association becoming a national party even though it has fewer net votes than one or more of its competitors. Given the complexity of the ranking system, it is of utmost importance that RAC communicates the national party results swiftly, transparently and with stakeholder support so that results are understood and accepted by Somalilanders.

 

Although there are challenges, these elections do present important opportunities for the maturation of Somaliland’s democracy. Somalilanders have been enthusiastic about opening the election to political associations, a fact which suggests citizens are ready for choices beyond the three traditional parties. At the local level, this is the first opportunity for Somalilanders to directly elect their local councilors, a positive development that coincides with the Somaliland government’s initiative to decentralize its government.

 

Additionally, these elections will feature greater youth participation numbers than past elections. With the reduction of the age of candidacy for local councilors from 35 to 25, hundreds of young people are competing for political office in a country in which the youth majority is frequently marginalized.

 

 

IRI in Somaliland

 

The International Republican Institute (IRI) has been working in Somaliland since 2002. Its programming focuses on building the capacity of civil society organizations and providing support to parliamentarians to enact legislation that meets constituent needs.

 

As part of its pre-election program, IRI conducted campaign schools for youth and women candidates to strengthen their voter outreach and general campaign skills. Additionally, the Institute partnered with local groups to train more than 9,000 party agents on how to effectively monitor the upcoming local elections. Finally, IRI trained political parties and political associations in Somaliland on grassroots campaigning, the establishment of issue-based platforms and the basics of internal party organization.

 

IRI continues to remain engaged in Somaliland’s political process as a part of the organization’s long-standing commitment to advancing freedom, self-government and the rule of law in Africa and around the world.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

[RedSea]

Everything is going as planned

[Saalax]

Voting begins in a crucial election in Somaliland

 

 

Somaliland municipal elections has started nationwide on early hours of Wednesday for the second time since democracy was restored in

2002.

 

More than 1,700 polling centres will be open for more than a million eligible voters by the end of the day. Seen by many as a crucial test of democracy troubled region, it will take place in 21 districts in six regions across the Horn of Africa nation. The race for dominance is also between two political parties and five newly-formed political associations.

 

All seven will need to ensure their organisation finishes at the top three in order to qualify for the next presidential and parliamentary elections. Under Somaliland constitution, only the three with the most vote become official political parties for the next decade. After ten years, the process starts all over again giving newcomers the opportunity to have their voice heard in Somaliland’s unique democratic arena.

 

President Silanyo and his cabinet cast their votes in Somaliland’s historical municipal elections

Here in the capital voting started around 7 a.m. in most of the 404 polling stations including Ga’an Libah, where President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo cast his vote. He was joined by first lady Amina Sheikh Mohamed Jirde and members of his cabinet including minister of presidency, interior, minister of finance and members of the ruling Kulmiye Party.

The president expressed a sense of opportunism and congratulated the people of Somaliland for their commitment to democracy and stability.

 

He urged everyone to vote peacefully and respect the electoral officials, volunteers, observers and the outcome of the result.

 

An international observation team of 56 from 15 countries is on the ground monitoring the elections. They see this as a crucial step in the democratization of the whole Horn of Africa region. Two teams from Puntland and Mogadishu are also there to observe and discover their neighbour’s voting system.

 

The polls close 6 p.m. and results might not be known until the weekend.

 

This is the 6th time Somaliland has held a peaceful elections since 2002 when it established multiparty system. It is the only country in the greater Horn of Africa to hold that many and foreign observers described the 2005 parliamentary vote as: “The freest and most transparent democratic exercises ever staged in the Horn of Africa.”

 

Somaliland declared the restoration of its sovereignty in 1991 following a bloody war with neighbouring Somalia.

 

Somalilandpress

[Saalax]

http://somalilandpress.com/voting-begins-in-a-crucial-election-in-somaliland-37976