Together We Can Make Elections Easy

The most outstanding achievement made by Somaliland is the introduction of a multi-party system in 2001 and the valuable elections that followed on 2002, 2003, 2005, 2010 and 2012.

No Election Date Purpose For The Election Total Vote
1 15th December 2002 Local Election 44,067
2 14th April 2003 Presidential Election 49,8639
3 29th September 2005 House of Representative 670,322
4 26th June 2010 Second Presidential Election 1,069,914
5 28th November 2012 Local Election 810,858

Substantial Contrast is apparent when it comes to the turnout, national or region wise for every election. Which creates suspect and indicator to the attempts of multiple and underage, or illegal voting of non-Somaliland citizens. This touches the core mandate of NEC and its co-sister Committee of Civil Registration. The two are doing overlapping Biometric Registration of the same people for the same time (Article 25/ Amendment of Voter Registration Law No 34/27).

It was only the Second Presidential election of 26th June that reveled in a Voter Registration. But a glance on its turnout (1,069914 Voters) designates a massive violation in the recording system. This is the right time Somaliland to create strong and sustainable data bases for its civil and voter registrations, which will contribute the facilitation of elections in a restful mannereffectively and with confidence. Nonetheless this will not be achieved without symmetrical utmost strength of NEC and Civil Registration Committee. The good news is the availability of 500,000 well checked biometric registrants of Somaliland citizens, that can be a reference and immediate to the Voter registration.  Following are themes of cooperation between the two committees;

Promptitude of Voter Registration by NEC is essential, handing out the complete Halve a Million Cards as registered Somaliland Citizens.

Place of start is more convenient to be the Capital of Hargeisa, where more than 250,000 citizens are already registered, and telecommunication facilities are highly available to start the bustle.

Double checking is crucial for safeguarding against multiple voting. And that will be possible, only when NEC is recording Citizen Cards, in its biometric system.

Civil Registration Committee must haste and finish its activities in the eastern regions of Las-anode and Erigavo, commencing the Start of NEC in those regions after it will finish Hargeisa and western regions.

Election for the House of Representatives is directly dependent on the accomplishment of Civil Registration. Final statistical inhabitants of the six regions must be obtained by the government and then passed to the legislative houses to pass the law accordingly.

Government, NEC and Civil Registration Committee must work hard and not to be Imbecile so that election not to be postponed or mismanaged again and again.

On that way we can make elections easy.

Mohamed Abdi Daud