Somaliland decided: the domestic election observers’ report on the 2017 presidential election
On 13 November 2017, Somalilanders went to the polls to elect their new president, Muse Bihi Abdi. With Saferworld’s support, the Somaliland Non-State Actors Forum (SONSAF) successfully deployed a domestic election observation mission to monitor the process. Its findings are presented in this report.
Over 565,000 citizens cast their votes in Somaliland’s third direct presidential election since 2003. It was an election of many notable firsts: Africa’s first-ever use of iris-recognition technology in a voter registration; Somaliland’s first-ever televised presidential candidate debate; and the first presidential election in which 21 out of 23 electoral districts of Somaliland were able to take part.
With Saferworld’s support, the Somaliland Non-State Actors Forum (SONSAF) successfully deployed a domestic election observation mission to closely monitor the entire process.
In this latest report, the observation mission presents its findings from throughout the election cycle: from the legal frameworks in place, to the registering of citizens to vote, to the political parties’ campaigns, to actual voting procedures on election day.
Read more about our work in Somaliland.
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