[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]
HARGEYSA, 26 Mar 2003 (IRIN) - Somaliland's Electoral Commission has urged international donors to plug a gap of about half a million US dollars it says it needs to organise the self-declared republic's first multiparty presidential polls on 14 April.
The Electoral Commission, which was set up in December 2001 ahead of Somaliland's first multiparty local elections, says the extra money is needed for election logistics and voter education.
Lessons Learnt
"We had a lot of experience from that election," Commission chairman Ahmed Haji Ali Adami told IRIN. "There were some difficulties, we learned a lot of lessons, we put them on a very long list and we are trying to improve according to our ability and according to the finance we receive."
For the presidential poll, the Commission says it submitted a budget request to the Somaliland government of $1.5 million, but was granted only about $1 million. Although it has received some financial pledges and training support from the international community, Commission members told IRIN that donors had been less forthcoming this time.
For example, the European Union (EU) provided support for voter education in the local elections but has not extended funding this time.
"The reason is political," said Commission member Mohammed Sheikh Abdillahi. "Supporting a presidential election in a country that is not recognised would be construed as a political act."
The Electoral Commission nevertheless hopes to receive support from individual countries, notably Britain, Norway and Switzerland.
The Electoral Commission has seven members. Three were selected by the government, two by the House of Elders and two by opposition parties. Two opposition candidates are running against incumbent president Dahir Riyale Kahin. There will be only one round of voting, with the winner requiring a simple majority.
The lack of a proper census means that there is no voter list. The Commission says it abandoned attempts to register voters in advance of the local elections, because it did not have the means.
900 Polling Stations
Commission chairman Ahmed Haji Ali Adami told IRIN there would be 900 polling stations across Somaliland. He said the ballot papers, printed in the UK, had already arrived, along with indelible ink that would be put on the hands of voters to prevent fraud. He added that the ballot papers had been counted, given serial numbers and put under lock and key.
"As a commission we are ready," he said. "Apart from that financial constraint, we are ready. You can go around and see that everything is planned according to date. And I think technically we are ready."
The Commission says it is committed to taking ballot papers to all parts of Somaliland, including the eastern Sool and Sanaag regions, where the government has imposed a state of emergency. These areas have been experiencing insecurity owing to a territorial dispute with neighboring Puntland and spillover from fighting there.
But Commission member Mohammed Sheikh Abdillahi told IRIN that reaching remote areas posed considerable logistical problems. "You know this country has no roads and communications are very poor, and the country is very large," he said. "So to cover that is a big logistical nightmare."
The Commission says security is also a concern. The government will provide the necessary security personnel, but Abdillahi said voter education could also help.
"There is a need to emphasize security," he said. "Somaliland people were the real heroes last time, the self-discipline in the queues was extraordinary, there was no need for policemen or anything. But we don't take anything for granted, and we want to emphasize again the need for security and peace during the election time."
Voter Education
The Commission says voters are highly politically aware and are likely to vote in big numbers. It expects at least a 50 percent increase on the 450,000 people who voted in the local elections.
However, the Commission says it needs to provide more education on how to vote, especially for women.
"The majority of the voters last time were women," says Shukri Haji Ismail, the only woman member of the Electoral Commission.
"Last time they were asking many questions," she said. "About 70 percent of the Somaliland women are illiterate, and there were certain problems when they were trying to mark the ballot papers. But this time we will be trying to show them.
"Specifically we will be targeting the women and showing them, and telling them that if they want to vote for a certain party they should not be intimidated or pushed into voting for somebody else," she added.
During the local elections, polling stations closed at 6pm. The Commission says it is considering an extension of voting hours this time, to ensure that everyone gets the chance to cast their ballot.
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