16
Support to Somaliland’s Electoral Processes
2002 Local Council Elections
Following ratification of its constitution in 2001, Somaliland called for its first democratic
elections, local council elections, to be held in late 2002 (these elections would also determine
the three official political parties that would field presidential and parliamentary candidates). It
was planned that harmonized presidential and parliamentary elections would occur shortly
thereafter in early 2003.
8
In the lead-up to these critical first elections for Somaliland, several
key challenges needed to be addressed. Among these key challenges were the lack of capacity
and experience of the National Electoral Commission, established in December 2001, in
managing and overseeing electoral processes; the fact that “the political organizations had no
experience in contesting elections or resources for mounting one;” the absence of a voter
register or census; and, the dearth of voter education programs for citizens.
9
It was within this
context that the international donor community expanded its assistance to Somaliland to provide
support to its electoral processes, with the “elections attract[ing] the first substantive support
from international donors for political activities in Somaliland.”
10
In advance of the December 2002 local council elections, the European Commission, with an
interest in “support[ing] the move towards the establishment of democracy and good
governance in Somalia” and understanding that elections “are complex, and within fragile post
conflict societies, can result in renewed conflict,” provided support
11
which “co-financed the
[December 2002 local council] election with the government,” fielded a technical assistance
mission through the German Organization for Technical Cooperation to support the National
Electoral Commission and provided training to election workers and domestic observers.
12
The
donor community also supported the War-Torn Societies Project International (Interpeace) to
conduct election-related programming through the Academy for Peace and Development, which
included the Academy “host[ing] regular consultations between Somaliland’s political parties,
the National Electoral Commission and the government in the preparation of local and
presidential elections…[which] culminated in the signature of a common code of conduct for all
political parties.”
13
Additionally, USAID commenced its democracy and governance support to
Somaliland in 2002, funding capacity building support to political parties, both in the pre- and
post-election periods, through IRI. Support to IRI was also provided by NED to prepare
Somaliland’s political parties to compete in local, parliamentary and presidential elections. In
reflecting on this pre-2002 local council election period, Dr. Iqbal Jhazbhay explained, “outside
technical assistance and expertise, as well as funding and training from such quarters as the
European Commission and IRI, helped to carry Somaliland through an important learning
8
Local council elections took place in December 2002 and presidential elections took place in April 2003.
Parliamentary elections were delayed by two years to September 2005.
9
Jhazbhay, Iqbal D.
Somaliland: An African Struggle for Nationhood and International Recognition
.
Johannesburg: Institute for Global Dialogue/South African Institute of International Affairs, 2009. Print, p. 51.
10
Bradbury, Mark.
Becoming Somaliland
. Oxford: James Currey, 2008. Print, p. 188.
11
Funds contribured by Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Ibid. p. 188.
12
European Union Report on the Somaliland local elections Held on December 15, 2002. Also, see Bradbury,
Mark.
Becoming Somaliland
. Oxford: James Currey, 2008. Print, p. 188.
13
Democracy in Somaliland: Challenges and Opportunities
. Rep. Hargeysa: Academy for Peace and
Development/Interpeace, 2010. Print, p.2.
