19
that included 76 observers from 20 countries.
28
IRI, working in concert with the Progressio
delegation, fielded a seven member observation team with funding from USAID.
29
2010 Presidential Election
From 2006 to 2008, Interpeace, through support to the Academy for Peace and Development,
implemented its
Dialogue for Peace II
program. The implementation of this program coincided
with Somaliland preparing for another round of elections, as President Riyale’s term was
scheduled to end on May 15, 2008. The Academy for Peace and Development explains that
“under the auspices of the
Dialogue for Peace II
, [it] was able to facilitate a series of
consultative meetings to discuss ways to resolve disputes over such issues as the formation of
the National Electoral Commission, the electoral timeline and the extension of the president’s
term in office,”
30
provide “technical and legal assistance to the Somaliland parliament to review
and reform the electoral law and procedures…raise public awareness of the importance of the
elections and encourage the constructive and non-partisan involvement of civic and media
organizations.”
31
As was the case with Somaliland’s prior elections, the second presidential election garnered
attention and support from the international community. According to the Somaliland Non-
State Actors Forum:
It is widely acknowledged by all the main stakeholders that Somaliland would
not have made much progress in its democratization process, particularly with
regard to holding the last two critical elections, without the financial, technical
and moral support of the international actors, specifically western donors.
Everybody accepts that the Somaliland government was incapable of raising
sufficient funds for holding most of these elections. It did provide funds for the
referendum on the constitution and the local council elections, but contributed
only 30 percent of the funds required for holding the 2010 presidential
elections.
32
However, the lead-up to the presidential election was marred by a number of political disputes,
including those related to the extension of the term of office for the president and
Guurti,
33
the
appointment of a new National Electoral Commission and voter registration. As a consequence,
the poll was delayed five times to June 26, 2010.
28
Countries represented included “namely Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, the
Philippines, Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Finland, the United
Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Among these were several
Somalilanders from the diaspora in the United Kingdom, Sweden and Canada.” See Progressio,
Further Steps to
Somaliland,
p.4-5.
29
International Republican Institute Somaliland September 29, 2005 Parliamentary Election Assessment Report
.
Rep. Washington, D.C.: International Republican Institute, 2005. Print.
30
Democracy in Somaliland: Challenges and Opportunities
. Rep. Hargeysa: Academy for Peace and
Development/Interpeace, 2010. Print, p.2-3.
31
A Vote for Peace II: A Report on the 2010 Somaliland Presidential Election Process
. Rep. Hargeisa: Academy
for Peace and Development/Interpeace, 2012. Print, p. 15-16.
32
Somaliland Elections Review Report
. Rep. Hargeisa: Somaliland Non-State Actors Forum, 2011. Print, p. 36.
33
Members of the House of Elders, known as the
Guurti
in Somali.
