The Options of Recognition May Be Boosted by the Forthcoming Elections
Somaliland times-By next Feb 23rd, Somalilanders will have exercised their right to vote and express their will through the ballot box. After months of cynicism, most Somalilanders are now convinced of participating in the electoral process. Of course, there are those who view the whole process with deep skepticism and suspicion. But such negative attitudes are understandable considering that the majority of the Somalilanders who are eligible to take part in the forthcoming elections, have never actually experienced this kind of a process before. Yet after winning a decade-long struggle against dictatorship in the eighties, followed by another decade-long struggle for peace, national reconciliation and democracy, Somalilanders can not now dodge their right to vote and select their government representatives. This is by no means to underestimate the huge challenges posed to Somaliland by the forthcoming elections. Apparently there are many shortcomings in terms of the country’s preparedness for the elections. The tasks of voter registration, education and information are yet to be addressed. UDUB’s illicit access to government resources continues to be a serious problem that if not resolved now may overshadow later the legitimacy of the election results. Obviously there is little time left for overcoming the above difficulties. Neither does the incumbent government (both the executive and legislative branches) has much time left before its term in office expires by early next year.
Apart from being a constitutional requirement, Somaliland’s current transition from the Shirbeeleed electoral system to a multi-party based democracy, is going to create a set of moral and legal options that the world cannot ignore any more. In the last 10 years while the international community has been busy in trying to reconcile the warring factions in the former Italian colony of Somalia, Somaliland has, by contrast, been involved in a successful peace-building and national reconciliation process without external help. Within this period, Somaliland has also proven wrong the skeptics amongst members of the international community that argued it is not a viable state. Somaliland has demonstrated despite the constraints posed by the lack of recognition its ability to do business with the rest of the world, that it is economically more viable than many countries in today’s Africa that depend on substantial foreign aid for survival. In fact, Somaliland stands as a model for democracy, human rights and self-reliance.
There is no doubt that Somaliland’s electoral process, if conducted fairly and freely, will boost the probability of this country becoming recognized by the international community. It is therefore the common responsibility of all stakeholders, particularly President Rayale’s Administration, leaders of the opposition and the civil society at large, to ensure that the forthcoming elections are held peacefully, fairly and freely.
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