COSONGO
CONSORTIUM FOR SOMALILAND
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
CONSOLIDATED
REPORT BY DOMESTIC OBSERVATIONS UNITS ON THE SOMALILAND LOCAL COUNCILS
ELECTIONS
HELD ON THE 15TH
OF DECEMBER 2002
Introduction
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) play a significant role in Somaliland reconstruction and
development after the brutal years of civil war in the late 1980s and early
90s. These important institutions represent a great number of communities,
including some of the most vulnerable and silenced. As an important "third
sector", CSOs take part in the national
decision-making process through their influence on public policy as well as
their ability for mobilising and channelling the limited international aid that
is given to Somaliland through international
agencies – both the UN and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
Democracy has been slowly emerging in Somaliland from 1997 onward. The
process of democratisation came into full swing after the constitutional
referendum held on 31st May 2001, where the Somaliland population approved the
revised constitution, with a clear majority (97%), which affirmed the
independent status of Somaliland and paved the way for a transition to
a multiparty system of government. In order to conduct free and fair elections
based on the nation’s constitution an Electoral Commission was established in
accordance with the electoral law passed by the national parliament. The first
national popular elections on the municipality-level were scheduled for the
15th of December 2002.
The Consortium of the Somaliland
Non-governmental Organisations (COSONGO) and NAGAAD were to contribute to good
governance in Somaliland and organised themselves to
play the role of domestic observers for the Somaliland Local Councils Election
held on December 15th 2002. COSONGO and NAGAAD, which
are both umbrella organisations with a membership of more than one hundred
organisations - mainly NGOs and community-based organisations (CBOs) - have been entrusted to manage and coordinate the
election observation task. This report presents a
summary of the observations made by the observers deployed at the polling
stations, and aggregated by coordinators at the district, regional and national
levels.
Scope of the
Observation Mission
The
Domestic Election Observation Mission of the municipal local councils'
electoral process was divided into three phases: the mobilisation of domestic
observers; their training as observers; and the actual observation of the
voting and counting processes. A final report will be presented on 28
December 2002.
Overall
Goal;
Contribute to good governance in Somaliland through promoting
participatory governance and by enabling civil society organisations to partake
in the local councils election held on December 15, 2002.
Strategies;
Mobilise
effective non-governmental organisations to facilitate a domestic observation
mission by individuals and organisations from the six regions of Somaliland and seek technical
advice from members of the EU/GTZ Technical Assistance Mission (TAM).
Activities;
Mobilising
and identifying suitable local non-governmental organisations and individuals
from their respective regions and districts.
Training
of approximately 400 selected domestic observers from the regions and districts
for the national election observation mission, educating them in electoral
procedures and bylaws.
Deploying
the trained domestic observers to about 400 polling stations located in all
regions and districts.
Method;
A National Coordination Body was set-up
in Hargeisa, the capital city, which consisted of 9 members headed by a focal
person. Six regional coordinator units from reputable CSOs
were also established, assisted by district representatives. At least 400
persons were deployed as domestic observers to about 400 polling stations
throughout the six regions of the country.
Data
Collection Tools;
Various
forms were prepared in advance for data collection and summary. Copies of these
formats are presented in the Annex.
1.
Three forms were distributed to all domestic observers in order to record
observations made during the Election Day. These were the field data-collection
tools intended to gather facts and figures on the election process. These are:
§
form A, opening observation form,
containing 13 questions to be answered by each domestic observer at the time of
the opening of the polling station and during voting.
§
form B, closing observation form,
containing 13 questions to be answered by each observer at the closing of the
polling station and during the counting process.
§
form C, tabulation observation form,
containing 4 questions to be answered by each domestic observer at the time of
the tabulation of results.
2.
Tally sheets:
Tally
sheets were used at the regional level for the summary and reporting of the
information and data collected from the polling stations through the above
forms. These are three different tally sheets A, B & C, corresponding to
the above forms:
§
tally sheet A summarises data and
information presented in Form A.
§
tally sheet B summarises data and information
presented in Form B.
§
tally sheet C summarises data and
information presented in Form C.
Master
tally sheets are used at the regional and national levels, and present
summaries of information and data from regional representatives. Six master
tally sheets were provided to the six regional coordinators, in which they
would summarise and report the information and data on observations made during
the election.
The
national coordination unit in Hargeisa then prepared a consolidated master
tally sheet, presenting an overall summary of the observations made by the CSOs represented by the COSONGO and NAGAAD Umbrella
Organisations.
Collaboration
and Networking
During
the observation mission, COSONGO collaborated and networked with a number of
institutions at both the national and international levels. The National
Electoral Commission played a key role in accepting and welcoming the role of
civil society during the observation mission. Technical and financial support were provided by the TAM. Networking and information
sharing with a number of national civil society organisations in all regions
has facilitated the entire observation mission.
Domestic Election Observation Mission
This
part of the report summarises the progress of the observation activities carried
out during 4th – 15th December 2002 in all regions. The
activities consisted of the mobilisation and training of 400 domestic observers
from the local NGOs and CBOs, including COSONGO and
NAGAAD members, for participation in the local councils election procedures of
Somaliland.
During
the first two weeks of December, mobilisation and identification of domestic
observers from effective civil society organisations and selection of their
polling sites in the regions were done. The training and materials for domestic
observers were also completed before the election Day.
Regional coordinators met with local NGOs, CBOs,
regional election committees and community members to discuss and explain the
purpose and role of local domestic observations. In all the regions, about 400
domestic observers were selected and trained, then assigned to the polling
stations as independent observers.
However,
the main activities of the observation mission included the following:
·
community
mobilisation
·
verification
of participants and polling stations
·
developing
and conducting training for domestic observers
·
regular monitoring and supervision of election
process in all the regions.
1. Community
mobilisation
The
main activities during the mobilisation phase were as follows:
·
identification
of local domestic observers for polling stations
·
orientation
and mobilisation of domestic observers to attend training workshops
·
passing all other relevant information to
domestic observers.
2. Training of domestic observers
One
day training sessions were conducted for domestic observers selected by COSONGO
and NAGAAD local NGOs members, and a complete set of reference materials was
given to the observers for them to bring to polling stations during the
election. These sessions were attended by all participants in all the regions.
The main objective of the workshops was to provide domestic observers with the
necessary tools and skills to carry out their observations during the election day.
Election Process -
General
Observations
At 07:00 am local time (04:00 GMT), the
Somaliland public started voting in the first multi-party elections to be held
for more than 30 years – the last local elections were held in May 1969, just
five months before the late dictator General Siyad Barre seized power in a bloodless coup in the territory of
the former Somali Democratic Republic, which included Somaliland.
The voting environment and process were
largely peaceful and voting was successfully completed on time without any
noticeable conflicts. This is perhaps surprising to many political observers
and analysts at both the local and international levels, who had expressed
cautions and anticipated conflicts during election day.
The Somaliland people voted for local
council candidates nominated at the district level by six political
organisations: ASAD, HORMOOD, KULMIYE, SAHAN, UCID
& UDUB, all of which were registered and approved by the National
Registration Office For the registration of political parties late last year.
Out of 23 Districts in six regions of Somaliland, local councils were
elected for 20 districts, while voting did not take place in two districts in
the Sool Region, including the capital town of Las-Anod. This was as a result of
the recent incident related to the President's visit and the security
precautions taken by the National Electoral Commission in response. In the Las-Qoray district of the Sanaag
region, no political organisation had nominated candidates for the local
council and therefore elections were not held in that district.
Voting has not taken place in three
districts – two in Sanaag and one in Sool – but each district had their local councils elected
on the basis of ‘No Post’, meaning that only one political organisation had
nominated candidates in each of these three districts, and, based on the
election law, was therefore allowed to fill the local councils without contest.
Specific
Observations
The
pre-election phase
Preparation of Polling stations
Polling Stations were established
generally in a satisfactory and timely manner. The recruitment of polling staff
was carried out in the last days, and their training might have suffered as a
result.
In some areas, it was reported that
polling stations received the material (each polling station received two
boxes: the ballot box and a larger wooden box with materials) late on the 14th
of December due to inadequate transportation or no presence of staff.
It was reported that polling Stations
were added in the Awdal and Hargeisa regions.
In general, transportation and security
arrangements for the polling material seemed adequate which was aided by the
last-minute decision to allow polling agents and monitors to accompany the
material.
The
Election Day
The
domestic observer teams, composed of COSONGO and NAGAAD members supported by
the TAM, visited 400 polling stations throughout the voting day, covering
therefore more than 40 percent of the total number of polling stations. Due to
inadequate financial funds the number of observers was too small to cover all
polling stations.
Voting
On the 15th
December 2002, voting
started at all target polling stations and the majority of polling stations
opened between 6:30 – 7:00 am. Generally, people went to
vote early in the morning.
The
number of polling stations did on the whole not reflect the size of the
population in towns and cities. This means that the number of poling stations
was limited, leading to long queues where people were forced to wait for a long
time. However, people were patient and did not seem to mind to wait in order to
cast their votes.
The
political organisations were helping their supporters by providing
transportation to the polling stations in case of long distances.
Polling
staff were competent and the security officers present also performed well.
During voting, there were no reported clashes, disputes or conflicts at any
polling site.
The
election day was generally peaceful and people voted
freely for the political organisation of their own choice. Mobilisations and
campaigning for supporters using local mass media and demonstrations were
banned one day before and during election day in all
regions and towns. All transportation of people in large numbers using vehicles
and buses was also stopped across district boundaries, but each political
organisation was able to freely transport people, collect their supporters and
drop them off at polling stations within the district. Political organisations
publicly transported people within almost all districts, while some were
reported to have transported people across district boundaries in some of the
regions.
Observing
the Election
The representatives from
political organisations and domestic observers were present in the majority of
polling stations. However, some political organisations were not able to send representatives
to all polling stations. For example, in the western regions, UDUB, UCID and
HORMOOD were present and their representatives were visible. Representatives
from UDUB, KULMIYE, UCID and SAHAN were present in the majority of polling
sites in almost all the regions.
In
addition, the regional coordinators visited and supervised polling sites in and
outside of all the major towns. Interested individuals from various
international organisations visited a number of polling stations and collected
information and data from polling sites. The domestic observers generally
reported information from their sites to the regional coordination, while the
regional coordinators made summaries of reports. Information submitted by
domestic observers in the target locations considered:
§
the
number of voters in each location
§
evaluation
of successes in or obstacles to a smooth election (strengths & weakness)
§
the
number of political organisations who had observers present in polling stations
§
counting
and scores for each party
§
a
general evaluation of the election process
§
results
and recommendations
The observer teams rated the
polling process as "good" or "very good" in 90 per cent of
their reports. Polling took place in an orderly way under the control of
polling officials who acted in a professional and responsible manner.
Polling
stations were closed at 18:00, and since there were still
long queues, some people did not get the opportunity to vote.
Closing and Counting
Closing procedures, especially with
regards to the handling of polling materials and pick up, seem to have been
less efficient than other procedures. This process needs to be reinforced in
future elections. Although it is understandable that staff
are tired after a long day of work, this part of the process is as
important as the rest.
The counting was also generally
carried out in a competent manner. The presence of polling agents, monitors and
domestic observers in all polling stations during the counting process had a
positive effect, and procedures were followed properly. The counting of votes
in all the regions was finalised on 19th
December 2002.
The election result
The provisional election results
were declared on the 22nd of December 2002 by the Electoral
Commission. The total number of valid votes was recorded as 440,046. This
represents about ….% of the number of registered
voters declared by the registrars of polling stations during the voting day on 15
December 2002.
Specific
information and reports available from the majority of observers at the polling
stations in all the regions indicate that approximately less than 40% of the
total population in regional or district towns in all regions were able to cast
their vote, while more than 70% of the nomadic and rural populations were not able
to vote because of long distance of travelling to the polling stations.
Summary
of the Election Votes
Based
on the figures issued by The National Electoral Commission
|
Political organisations
|
W/G
Region
|
Sahil
Region
|
Togdher
Region
|
Awdal
Region
|
Sanag
Region
|
Sool
Region
|
TOTAL
|
%
|
Asad
|
10,943
5.8%
|
2,281
8.375%
|
9,283
13.938%
|
8,727
8.68%
|
6,655
12.53%
|
1,707
27.26%
|
39,596
|
|
|
Hormod
|
29,104
15.615
|
1,188
4.362
|
1,454
2.183
|
7,229
7.19%
|
1,409
2.65%
|
154
2.45%
|
40,538
|
|
|
Kulmiye
|
29,923
16.05%
|
5,309
19.49%
|
17,476
26.246%
|
13,679
13.611%
|
13,701
25.80%
|
3,070
49.03%
|
83,158
|
|
|
Sahan
|
14,748
7.912%
|
2,054
7.54%
|
15,234
22.87%
|
4,499
4.476%
|
11,356
21.38%
|
51
0.814%
|
47,942
|
|
|
Ucid
|
30,676
16.458%
|
2,900
10.648%
|
4,821
7.23%
|
7,422
7.385%
|
3,401
6.40%
|
224
3.577%
|
49,444
|
|
|
Udub
|
70,989
38.08%
|
13,502
49.577%
|
18,330
27.52%
|
58,939
58.64%
|
16,574
31.215%
|
1,055
16.85%
|
179,389
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
186,383
|
27,234
|
66,598
|
100,495
|
53,096
|
6,261
|
440,067
|
|
Major Constraints reported
Common
problems reported by the domestic observers and regional coordinators include
the following:
§
In
all the regional towns, there were too few polling stations. Many people were
not able to vote because of long queues in the hot sun at polling stations.
§
Some
of the villages were very far from any polling station and some people did not
seem to understand the election process very well.
§
The
sign or mark of ink was removable. It was easy for young people to remove it with
paint solvent, hide it with Henna or black cosmetics for fingers
§
The
registration of each voter was very slow and people in the queue were feeling
bored and stressed.
§
All
polling stations were closed at 18:00, while there were still some people
waiting to vote. The main reason for this was lack of security lights or
electricity in some polling stations. The commission discussed with the
political organisations before closing the polling station, and agreed on the
closures since there are were no alternative solution.
§
Many
votes were disqualified because the people were not aware of or given SAMPLE
voting papers showing the voting process. Most of the people were illiterate
and had difficulty understanding the logos and the way of marking.
§
The
question 'Are you able to read and write’ was inappropriate and not useful
because many illiterate people were too shy to say no, and then spoiled their
votes because the ballot paper was filled out wrong.
§
In
a few places, the polling materials and the staff arrived late, around 07.00,
due to detours on the way to the polling sites.
§
The
communication and networking in polling station were inadequate.
§
The
registration staff in polling sites were tired and felt stressed to register
the people without break time, since there were no substitutes.
§
The
numbers of domestic observers were also limited, leaving many polling stations
unobserved.
Recommendations
The
main points that have been reported by the domestic observers for the
recommendation of the election are highlighted below:
Ø
Extension
of polling stations in ALL regions and town in order for people to get an equal
chance to vote
Ø
To
control the people who are removing the voting ink, that means not allowing
women who have Henna and black cosmetics on their fingers to vote, of which
awareness must be spread before the election day and voting
Ø
Training
and selection of staff for last-minute registrations. It is also necessary to
have two persons for registration in each poling stations
Ø
Provision
of alternative lights to the poling stations where there is no electricity,
particular in main centres of voting.
Ø
More
awareness of election procedures and way of marking papers in order to avoid
invalid votes.
Ø
The
question 'Are you able to read and write' should be omitted totally. The staff
should ask the person to what political organisation he/she wants to give
his/her vote. This would apply only to illiterate people who have difficulties
to understand the signs and marking papers.
Ø
Improve
communication with and transportation to the polling stations
Ø
Increase
the number of domestic observers and their per diems and transportation.
Finally,
the COSONGO and NAAGAD Local Council Election observation mission suggests that
the EU continue its generous support for the upcoming parliamentary elections
planned for early 2003.
Hargeisa
December 2002
(Source:
http://www.geocities.com/somalilandfr/referundum.htm)
