London, September 19, 2009 (SL Times) – Leading authorities on Somaliland – including notable scholars and members of the UK-based team coordinating observers for the country’s much-delayed presidential elections – have issued an urgent call to political leaders in the internationally unrecognized country to find “a speedy resolution” to the crisis which has seen the presidential poll postponed four times since April 2008.

In an open letter to President Dahir Rayale Kahin and opposition party leaders Ahmed Mohamed Sillanyo and Faisal Ali Waraabe, the 30-strong “friends and supporters of Somaliland” say that clear leadership will be vital if Somaliland's “unique reputation for democratic stability” is to continue.

In recent days, unrest and the deaths of three demonstrators in Somaliland’s capital Hargeysa have provided a “vivid demonstration of the seriousness of the current situation and the urgency with which action is required to resolve this impasse”, the letter says.

A number of the signatories, including Progressio’s Dr Steve Kibble, are part of the team which was invited to coordinate the election observation mission by the Somaliland National Electoral Commission in January. The team has also been tasked with preparing a report on the conduct of the campaign and poll following the vote. Support for the mission is being provided by the UK government.

Letter

14 September 2009

Daahir Rayaale Kaahin

President

Republic of Somaliland

Dear President Rayaale,

As firm friends and supporters of Somaliland and its path to democracy, we were dismayed to hear of the decision by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to postpone the presidential elections from 27 September without a firm replacement date.

We very much hope that a speedy resolution of the crisis facing Somaliland can occur through the traditional and much admired methods of dialogue and consensus. That requires leadership by you and by the leaders of the other two parties.

Many of us are hoping to be international election observers for the elections when they do take place, and hope that a date can be set that is agreeable to all parties and to civil society, thereby enabling us to participate in your electoral process and to support your progress towards democracy.

We fear that failure to hold an election under terms that are accepted by all three parties and that are broadly accepted by those participating more generally in the Somaliland political environment, as well as the Somaliland populace, would at a stroke destroy the gains so painstakingly made over the last 18 years.

We believe that recent unrest and the deaths of a number of demonstrators provide vivid demonstration of the seriousness of the current situation and the urgency with which action is required to resolve this impasse. Although much has already been asked of the patience of all Somalilanders, it would be desperately sad if violent incidents were now allowed to mar Somaliland's unique reputation for democratic stability which so sharply differentiates it from Somalia.

We are writing in similar terms to the leaders of the two opposition parties.

With all good wishes,

Mohamed Ali

Georgina Barrett-Haigh

Mark Bradbury

Dr. Luca Ciabarri

Daniel De Simone

Richard Dowden

Dr. Laura Hammond

Conrad Heine

Dr. Jeffrey I. Herbst

Georg-Sebastian Holzer

Sarah Howard

Prof. Iqbal D. Jhazbhay

Hon. Jim Karygiannis MP

Dr. Steve Kibble

Howard Knight

Prof Ioan M. Lewis

Dr. Terrence Lyons

Fiona Mangan

Prof Ken Menkhaus

Rt. Hon. Alun Michael MP

Lic. Maria Cecilia Milesi

Senator Marco Perduca

Dr. Peter Reddy

Patrick Reilly

Peter Schuckink Kool

Claudia Simoes

Walter Stewart

Medhane Tadesse

Michael Walls

Louise Wiuff Moe

Ahmed Yussuf

Letter to President Rayaale, Republic of Somaliland (49k PDF)

Source: Progressio, 16 Sep 2009

Home | Contact us | Links | Archives | Search