Why Elections Matter in Somaliland

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

As news and analysis emerges from the second UK-Somalia conference in London, the absence of the government of Somaliland is noticeable. Somalia and Somaliland are bound by many longstanding ties, but over the past two decades their political trajectories have diverged. As institutions in Somalia have crumbled under the weight of protracted sectarian violence, Somalilanders have made considerable headway in building a functioning democratic system of government. While political developments in Somaliland should not be romanticised, they are worth examining and reflecting upon.

 

Elections in Somaliland have been an integral ingredient in establishing an inclusive system of representation. They are not mere formalities, conferring a thin veneer of legitimacy on a permanent incumbent; nor are they conducted solely as a sop to foreign donors insisting on greater democracy; nor is the prime motivation to further the pursuit of international recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign state.

 

For most Somalilanders, elections are an essential component of internal peace and security. They present clans, sub-clans and individual voters with important choices and provide a forum for free expression of views. Elections involve complex reshaping of relationships between regions and groups.

 

The November 2012 local elections were of particular significance. Only the three political associations which attracted the most votes would win, or retain, legal status as political parties until the next local elections - which may not occur for another decade. The previous local elections, in 2002, had established UDUB, Kulmiye and UCID as political parties. Ten years on, it was by no means certain that two of these three would exist beyond the November polls.

 

By July 2012, many of UCID's supporters and MPs had transferred their allegiance to the new political organisation Wadani, led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi "Irro". UDUB, the party of two previous presidents, was widely thought to be dissolving. New alliances were being forged, old ones were being redefined - and competition was intensifying daily.

 

It was against this backdrop that Africa Research Institute interviewed ten prominent Somalilanders, including the three Speakers of the House of Representatives, two government ministers, MPs, civil society activists and representatives of women's organisations. The product of these conversations is published in "After Borama: Consensus, representation and parliament in Somaliland" http://www.africaresearchinstitute.org/publications/policy-voices/par liament-in-somaliland/. The accounts focus on how political stability has been maintained in Somaliland - and present assessments of representation, the role of political institutions and national development priorities in the country.

[D.O.C]

All eyes on me.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Somaliland is moving forward the proper voter registration will be implemented soon