issue 198

London , UK , Nov 2, 2005 (CIIR) – A team of experts that traveled to the internationally unrecognized Horn of Africa country of Somaliland to observe its first-ever parliamentary elections has welcomed the announcement of the official results of the poll.

The results of the elections on 29 September were announced after a lengthy counting process and confirmed by the Supreme Court of Somaliland on 1st November . The observation team - brought together by CIIR - has hailed them as potentially marking the start of a new and exciting era for Somaliland .

The poll saw two opposition parties win a combined total of 49 seats in the 82-seat parliament against 33 for the ruling UDUB party. This raises the possibility of political coalitions playing a role, and the team notes that the opposition parties have declared their acceptance of the results. The poll also saw the election of two female candidates (from seven women in a field of 246 candidates in total). And while CIIR was disappointed at the scarcity of female candidates overall - although pleased with the high level of participation by women in voting itself - it recognizes that this represents the start of an improvement in female political representation and looks forward to this being developed in the next polling process in Somaliland - the local elections, scheduled for 2007.

CIIR regards the overall conduct of the parliamentary election as a tribute to the people of Somaliland and demonstrative of their commitment to democratization. However, it also recognizes there is much work to be done to overcome Somaliland 's long legacy of conflict and underdevelopment. While the team was happy to conclude that conduct of the election was reasonably free and fair overall, there were still many factors of organization and commitment to international standards that could be improved.

In particular, CIIR recommends that a census and a system of electoral registration be implemented as soon as is practicable. The team is also concerned that the time lag between voting and results made it difficult to maintain the interest of the international community in events in Somaliland , and recommends that measures be taken to overcome this, although not at the expense of the integrity of the counting process.

CIIR hopes that democratization in Somaliland will proceed smoothly, with outside partners and local civil society working together to build political capacity further. Dr Steve Kibble, CIIR advocacy coordinator for Africa and Yemen and joint coordinator of the mission, said: 'The conduct of the citizens of Somaliland throughout the parliamentary election campaign and its aftermath is a great example to the people of the Horn of Africa region, many of whom are struggling to have their voices heard. We are pleased that all the political parties seem to have recognized the need for tolerance and the need to respect the independence of Somaliland 's National Electoral Commission. This greatly facilitated the achievement of a peaceful, accepted outcome in the poll.'

The team, comprising 76 international observers from four continents, worked closely with other organizations from South Africa , the United States and Scandinavia , as well as a team of local observers on the ground, covering more than a third of the 982 polling stations. The team was funded by the British Embassy in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia , and led by Dr Steve Kibble and Dr Adan Abokor, CIIR Country Representative for Somaliland .

A full report on the elections and their aftermath will be written and launched in Hargeisa and London before the end of this year.

In 1991, Somaliland decided unilaterally to end its union with Somalia , which had been gripped by three years of civil war, and embark on a process of democratization. A referendum in 2001, local elections in 2002, a presidential election in 2003 and this year's parliamentary poll followed. There have been some setbacks during that time - notably the government's incomplete compliance with human rights standards, as shown by the arrest of journalists and efforts to lean on the judiciary - but Somalilanders still hope the strategy will bring international recognition. For many observers, the democratization of Somaliland is seen as an interesting experiment that deserves greater study and support in its incorporation of democratic values within a traditional social structure.
The final result in the parliamentary poll held on 29 September saw the ruling UDUB party gain 33 seats in the 82-member parliament, with the opposition Kulmiye and UCID parties winning 28 seats and 21 seats respectively.
In addition to organizing the team of election observers, CIIR was also officially asked by the Electoral Commission in Somaliland to act as the facilitation point for all international observers. The team included writers Mark Bradbury, Matt Bryden and Ken Menkhaus, and Michael Walls of the University of London who has worked extensively with pastoralists in Somaliland and the Horn. Other members included those with extensive electoral observation experience in Rwanda , South Africa , East Timor and Eastern Europe , including Piers Pigou from South Africa who worked for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission there and Georgina Barrett, who works for the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
Dr Steve Kibble is CIIR's Advocacy Coordinator for Africa and Yemen . He is available for interviews. To arrange, please contact Finola Robinson, CIIR Press and Information Officer (see contact details below) or Dr Kibble at steve@ciir.org or on 020 7288 8629.
CIIR is an international development agency working with people of all faiths and none for the eradication of poverty and an end to injustice. CIIR is known in some countries, including Somaliland , as International Cooperation for Development (ICD). CIIR/ICD has been working in Somaliland since 1995.

For further information about CIIR/ICD, go to http://www.ciir.org/ or call Finola Robinson on 020 7288 8619. Finola can also be contacted via email at: finola@ciir.org