At a press conference, the 60-plus international observers called here in Hargeisa, this afternoon, they stated that they were pleased to have observed an election day and related activities which ‘preserved the integrity of the electoral process”.
The observers pointed out that the Monday, yesterday, polling brought out large queues of voters lining up to cast their votes for the presidential candidate of their choice among the three contenders.
They said there were a number of issues and challenges that did not, however, significantly impact on a balloting process that was as nearly faultless as could be hoped in the circumstances.
“Limitations to voter education may have had implications as voters appeared unsure as to how to vote,’ they observed. This, they said, exposed how some voters marked their ballot papers which were to have been strictly secret otherwise.
The issues observed, however, the observers noted did not ‘seem to be substantive and systematic enough to have undermined the election itself..’.
The observers said in their statement that they wished to ‘congratulate Somaliland on a largely peaceful process; another progressive step in their electoral evolution.’
The observers were drawn from 27 countries around the world. Besides, missions heads and top officials from 17 embassies were congregated in Somaliland for observations of their own.
Below is a copy of the observers’ statement.
For anybody who wished to follow up on the statement released, the statement provides:
Notes to Editors
1. For further information or to arrange an interview with a member of the coordination team, please contact Conrad Heine (EOM media coordinator) on +252 (0)63 486 5255 or ieosomalilandmedia@gmail.com. Photographs are also available.
2. Somaliland declared unilateral independence from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of Somalia’s government. It remains internationally unrecognised.
3. The mission is online at www.somalilandfocus.org.uk, @SomalilandFocus and facebook.com/EOMSomaliland2017.
