Geeljire,
This local and parliamentary elections are important in two level. One it will recreate a parliament with a mandate that can hold the executive to account. Since, the current one we have in place not only it’s expired one but it’s also tied at the hip with the executive. So we need a parliament that jealousy guard its constitutional rights and checks the elected government.
Secondly, apart from the notion of updating our internal democracy in which this election will go a long way to fulfill it, which is good social thing on the face of it, however it’s also the case that this election will help SL in her wider struggle in wining her legal rights.
And by that I mean one of the main issue in which incoming Biden’s Administration is really going to emphasize on is the state of democracy in the wider world and Americans role in promoting it. Especially considering all that had happened in the last four years or so on this front with Trump’s Administration effectively becoming a shameless cheerleader for all of the undemocratic states around the world.
Hence, we in SL have everything to gain and nothing to lose were we to be ready to jump on that democratic bandwagon in which Biden’s Administration will be driving forward. And effectively use our democratic card in selling our legal agenda to them.
For the fact of the matter is that the Biden’s Administration will use it as a yardstick to which to determine which country in the wider world, and in particular Sub-saharan Africa, they will likely engaged with in strategical and diplomatic sense. And which they will try to have no larger engagement other than what is necessary for US foreign policy towards that particular state.
So these two elections that all should happen before the summer, are really two important issues for us, both in domestic sense of our version of having an accountable polity in our land. And it’s also demonstrably important for us in an international sense.
The below statement was signed by Denmark, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States.
The international partners supporting Somaliland’s democratisation process welcome the announcement that parliamentary and local council elections will take place on 31 May 2021.
These elections present a significant opportunity for Somaliland to reaffirm its democratic credentials and to further the progress that has been realised in Somaliland’s democratisation process since the last parliamentary election in 2005.
We commend the National Electoral Commission and the three political parties for the successful completion of a transparent and inclusive voter registration between December 2020 and January 2021. We observed and welcomed the large numbers of young men and women across Somaliland registering to vote for the first time. It is the sustained transparency, independence and impartiality of these technical processes, and the institutions supporting them, which underpins the credibility of Somaliland’s democratic processes.
We encourage the government and the political parties to continue to ensure that candidates at all levels not only have the personal qualities to carry out the role required of them but that they are also truly representative of Somaliland’s internal diversity. We welcome the 3 September 2020 commitment signed by the three political parties to collectively “nominate 18 women candidates” and “three candidates from the minority clans” for the parliamentary elections. We call on all parties to extend this commitment to the local council elections and to take further steps to ensure greater political representation of women, youth and minority clans after the May elections.
We look forward to the agreement of electoral Codes of Conduct for political parties and the media. We hope both agreements will reflect a commitment to inclusivity in addition to underlining the importance of transparency on candidate nomination, an equal playing field for campaigning, prevention of intimidation or harassment, including safety of women candidates, equal access to the media and a commitment to press freedom.
We remain committed to work with Somaliland to support the delivery of transparent, secure, credible and inclusive elections on 31 May. We commend the Somaliland government for its commitment to ensuring elections are delivered on time, and to providing the majority of the funding for these elections. The international community has provided financial support to the NEC for the voter registration phase (from EU, Sweden and UK), and we look forward to providing further financial and non-financial support for remaining stages of the election process.
This election is going to be very important in cementing Somaliland’s democratic credentials.
It needs to be managed carefully and smoothly. It will go a long way in our statehood.
Is that 424,691 new voters? or just new cards for old voters?
Yes new voters …
Majaajilo ku saabsan doorashooyinka Somaliland…
The caricature is spot on.
Uusmiir and Suldaanka,
Guys, here is the total numbers of registered voters in Somaliland, who would take part, presumably in our upcoming parliamentary and local election in this coming month of May.
I find it very surprising, at least in a good sort of way, that the total registered voters in our country is now over a million. Especially, that is so, if you consider the fact that the last presidential election of November of 2017 it was only half of a million in total voters who did participated in that election.
However, this time around it’s over a million in total figure. Which goes to show we are taking to this democracy business like so much of a duck to a water.
Although some will say our pastorally-inclined folks back home, were always a democratic at heart. So they only needed a chance to rule according to their age old sentiment of egalitarian pastoral franchise.
Khaalid Foodhaadhi covers the election atmosphere
Laascaanood
This election we will have a number of highly qualified women as candidates. I hope they win their seats.
We need a voice other than the usual ku-jiq-sii talking-heads.
