Somaliland elections: President Riyale defeated, provisional results show
Somaliland elections: Provisional results indicate win for Ahmed Silanyo of the Kulmiye party – President Riyale defeated, the country’s National Electoral Commission says
International development organisation Progressio, the Development Planning Unit at University College London (UCL) and Somaliland Focus (UK) have welcomed the announcement of provisional results of Somaliland’s presidential election, held on 26 June 2010.
The Somaliland National Electorial Commission’s (NEC) findings – which are not yet final – indicate that Mr Ahmed Silanyo of the Kulmiye party has won the election, defeating the incumbent, President Dahir Riyale Kahin of the UDUB party and Mr Faisal Ali Waarabe of the UCID party.
The three UK based organisations were invited by the NEC in January 2009 to act as coordinators of the international observation mission for the election in the internationally-unrecognised republic.
The mission congratulates Mr Ahmed Silanyo and the Kulmiye party and extends its best wishes to President Riyale for his many years of service to Somaliland, and for the dignity and leadership he has shown during his years in office. In particular, the mission commends his statesmanship over the past 24 hours. Congratulations are also due to Mr Faisal, and indeed to all the candidates, for their adherence to the democratic process in Somaliland.
Despite the many delays in the run-up to the election, the mission would like to point out that the days prior to polling day – and polling day itself – were notable for their spirit of peacefulness and goodwill. The election observation mission hopes that the same spirit will prevail in the days leading up to the confirmation of the final result and beyond. It is hoped, too, that Somaliland’s political leaders, and their supporters, accept the final results, as they have pledged to do.
The observation mission believes any other course of action would be detrimental to the welfare of Somaliland’s people and the nation’s democratic future. The mission looks forward to being able to pass its final judgement on the Somaliland 2010 presidential election in its final election report.
Photos of Somaliland elections June 2010 © Claudia Simoes/Progressio
Notes to editors
- For further information or to arrange an interview with a member of the coordination team, contact Conrad Heine in Somaliland, tel +252 2 409 5464 or by email at [email protected]
- Somaliland’s Presidential elections have been repeatedly delayed. The poll has previously been scheduled for March/April 2008, December 2008, March 2009 and September 2009.
- Somaliland is situated in Somalia’s northwest. It declared unilateral independence from the failed Somali state in 1991 and has since been a haven of relative peace whilst violence and instability has characterised Somalia, its capital Mogadishu and more recently the Gulf of Aden.
- Progressio’s involvement in the mission follows its leadership of the international monitoring team for Somaliland’s inaugural parliamentary elections in 2005, judged by observers as “basically free and fair”.
Comments
Progressio strongly believes in solidarity with the marginalized groups and this is what happened in Somaliland when all staff and DWs stayed put in the country and even actively participated as International Election Observers in all the regions during the electioneering through to this evening [July 1st, 2010] when the Presidential results were announced half an hour ago. I say so because most agencies working in the country apparently gave leave and R&R to their International staff to leave the country, fearing that there could be trouble-and most did leave…
There was no trouble; there was realized enthusiastic and active participation by the citizens in choosing a President of their choice… you should have seen the queues and the excitement on the people’s faces…IEOs Missions [Progressio UCL & IRI] have confirmed that despite there being a few concerns, the process was free, fair and and expression of the wish people of Somaliland; Bravo Somalilanders!!!!!!
Bravo Progressio, Bravo UCL, Bravo Somalilanders, Bravo the IEOs who came from around the globe and expressed solidarity with the people of this Africa’s Untold Nation’ Jewel and Bravo to Progressio national staff who not only expressed their wish, but also were in charge of all the logistics and God Bless each one of them in a special way.
I am proud to be part of Progressio!
—
Susan Mulievi,
Projects Officer,
Progressio Somaliland.
Well done Somaliland! Now hopefully a peaceful transition and then a good deal of goodwill to President Rayaale for negotiating the difficult process of accepting defeat with dignity… Hopefully too, the international community will also start to pay a little more attention to Somaliland’s very real achievements …
Michael
A healthy democracy depends on more than casting regular ballots, but it rather depends on faith in the processes by which decisions are made. Sadly, this fundamental trust has been broken in the so-called election that you observed in Northwest Somalia or “Somaliland” in June 26, 2010.
According the international law and regulations, Somalia is one state and no self proclaimed states can be considered sovereign state, therefore your decision to monitor and support election of secessions group or clan against the majority of Somali people in general breached your standards and objectives as well as the international law and code of ethics.
You stated in your website that you don’t impose solutions but ask the people what needs to change – and then you give them the right help so they can make it happen. But in Northwest Somalia “Somaliland” you are imposing the will of the secessionist on the majority of the Somali unionist people.
You also allegedly that you bring skills, ideas and expertise in order to fight poverty and injustice but here in Hargaisa you brought division and society fragmentation, which jeopardized the peaceful coexistence of the Somali people in general and those living in the north particularly.
Yes, you probably saw long queues of people waiting to cast their ballots in three or four towns of so-called “Somaliland”, but you failed to realize that majority of these people are not electing the candidates because of their political agenda but rather their clan linage, which shows unhealthy democracy and immaturity.
You also ignored that no election has been held in Sool, Sanaag and Cayn, regions which constitute around 40% of North Somalia or “Somaliland”. Recently, a survey of public opinion also found that most Awdal people would have opted Somali union, should they given freedom to do so. .See the comments of Prof. Samatar’ who is from that Region talking about the election on Aljazeera on June 26, 2010.
In a letter you addressed to the president of the self styled state of “Somaliland”, on September 14, 2009, (which you illegally called “Republic of Somaliland”) you voiced your deep sorrow and concern for deaths of a number of demonstrators in Hargaisa, but you overlooked that dozen of people were killed when Riyale militias waged war against peace loving people of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn, causing displacement of thousand from their homes, who still live in exile at neighboring regions.
Perhaps above mentioned shortcomings will serve you as wake up call in order you return to your principals and help Somali people in general instead of being misguided and becoming hostages to certain particular minor groups.
Abdul Rahman Hariri
[email protected]
We are grateful for Mr. Abul Rahman Hariri’s comments, which we read with interest. In observing the elections in Somaliland Progressio has simply responded to a request from many of our partners there with whom we have worked for the past 15 years to strengthen local organisations and strengthen capacities through skillshare. We have a track record in election observation and have conducted similar missions in other countries where we have programmes as well.
Progressio takes no position on the independence or not of Somaliland – that is for Somalis to decide peacefully, not for outsiders. We work in Somaliland because of our commitment to fighting poverty and promoting development. We work there also because it has been possible for us to do so, unlike further south in Somalia where peaceful development is still difficult to achieve and dangerous for development workers. We worked in Somalia in the 1980s, including in Sool, but had to leave because of insecurity.
In no way can we be accused of bringing social fragmentation and disharmony. Instead we have worked steadily with local people to build up links between civil society actors across clan barriers, strengthened umbrella organizations seeking to improve women’s rights and championed the rights of those living with HIV and AIDS to services and social inclusion.
We do not feel we have a record to be ashamed of. This is the fourth peaceful election held in Somaliland and it shows what can be achieved when people go beyond mere clan allegiance and work for democracy and development. It is work which we continue every day alongside the people – it is built slowly, painstakingly and through hard work, and through facilitating people to work for themselves, not by imposing anything on anyone.
Catherine Scott, Regional Manager for Africa, Middle East and Asia . Progressio
Catherine Scott, you are a great person and thank you giving a positive answer to this negative person called Abdul Rahman Hariri.
The root of this confusion is the hate they have for the people of Somaliland. Their collective response is to link Somaliland’s success to the problems of Somalia.
Somaliland is a great example of what a well organised and truely decent and civilised nation can do. When the military dictatorship in the country once known as the Somali Republic was ousted in 1991, the whole government infustructure and the social cohesion had all but collabsed thus making it one of the most dangerous hot spots in the world.
As somaliland had in the first place voluntarily united with Somalia soon after its independence in 26 June 1960 from the British, It was left with no choice but to withdraw from the futile union inorder to save itself from the inhumane wholesale destruction and devastating wars and killings engendered and excuted unabatedly by people from within (Somalia) to the present date. Any true and decent person who cares about somali people would appreciate, encourage and congradulate Somaliland for it is great achievemnet and for being a beacon of stability, decency, democracy and hope for all Somali speakers. Finally the success and the achievment of the Somaliland people is far too advanced and complicated to comprehend for all thoes mindless individuals who can not differentiate the wrights from the wrongs
Thanks Catherine Scott,
somaliland has only advocated for whats rightly theirs. sool and sanaag are part of somaliland under the colonial borders. so regardless of the inhabitants living there, it remains part of somaliland. All somaliland has done is to bring peace,economic development and democracy to this regions, so if they instead opt for alshabab and its anarchy rather then the polling stations, then they will be the ones to suffer.
Somaliland is a great example of what a well organised and truely decent and civilised nation can do. When the military dictatorship in the country once known as the Somali Republic was ousted in 1991, the whole government infustructure and the social cohesion had all but collabsed thus making it one of the most dangerous hot spots in the world.
As somaliland had in the first place voluntarily united with Somalia soon after its independence in 26 June 1960 from the British, It was left with no choice but to withdraw from the futile union inorder to save itself from the inhumane wholesale destruction and devastating wars and killings engendered and excuted unabatedly by people from within (Somalia) to the present date. Any true and decent person who cares about somali people would appreciate, encourage and congradulate Somaliland for it is great achievemnet and for being a beacon of stability, decency, democracy and hope for all Somali speakers. Finally the success and the achievment of the Somaliland people is far too advanced and complicated to comprehend for all thoes mindless individuals who can not differentiate the wrights from the wrongs