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expressed a desire for the focus of the international donor community to take a more holistic
approach to democracy and governance support to Somaliland. One interviewee explained that,
while successful elections and the peaceful transfer of power have contributed much to the
consolidation of democracy in Somaliland:
It [elections] doesn’t automatically come with improved governance. That is still
something that needs to follow through where the role and shape of the political
parties is important, where the practice and the capacity of parliament is
absolutely critical, and where accountability mechanisms between the elections,
especially with the local councils, are very important and not nearly as much
supported or in place as they should be. So I think we have to also look at the
bigger picture and try to build on the elections to genuine democratic
content…keep an eye on the consolidation, give space to actual periods of
governing and not just electioneering.
Along these lines, one interviewee stated, “Somaliland won’t be judged only on elections, but
what happens in-between,” and encouraged a heightened focus on democratic governance and
internal democracy of government operations.
While much emphasis was placed by the donors and implementing partners interviewed on
broadening democracy and governance support to Somaliland in the period between elections,
several of those interviewed expressed a need to take a more long-term view of support to
electoral processes to include electoral reform and sustained work/capacity building with the
National Electoral Commission and other election administration bodies. For example:
We’re so focused on the election stuff, I think my worry generally is that we sort
of peak around the elections and then everybody falls off. I think that in terms of
the next couple of years, I would say that a more sustained focus [is needed] on
the root issues that will anchor a more credible elections processes or series of
elections processes going forward, so, like real electoral reform; when the new
National Electoral Commission comes in, there needs to be some more long-term
training; they need to be engaged right away; the issues of the Registration of
Political Associations and Approval of Political Parties Committee, and the
Registration of Political Associations and Approval of Political Parties
Committee should be doing all of those sorts of things.
Alliances and Strategies
Coordination Mechanisms
The primary coordinating mechanism utilized by members of the international donor
community working in Somaliland is the Democratization Steering Committee,
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which has
seven Nairobi-based donor members: the European Commission, the governments of Denmark,
Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, DFID and USAID. The Democratization Steering
Committee was initially formed as a venue for donors to coordinate their support to Interpeace,
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The Democratization Steering Committee also serves as a coordination mechanism for work conducted in
Puntland.
