Puntland at the polls

In July 2013, Puntland was due to elect local councillors in its first democratic election since the 1969 elections across Somalia. However, just one day before people went to the polls, the election was indefinitely postponed in the face of violence, protests, and attacks in towns and cities across Puntland.

The local council elections would have started a process leading to the election of a president. This report examines the reasons behind the failure of those local council elections. It sets out a number of recommendations to the Puntland authorities and the international community for advancing and supporting inclusive and representative governance processes in Puntland, and Somalia more generally.

It is clear that democracy does not begin and end at the polling booth; democratisation is a process that draws on many things, including civic engagement, clear routes to reconciliation of past grievances, and transparent and accountable institutions. In light of the findings by PUNSAA and Saferworld, the newly created Ministry of Constitution, Democratisation and Federal Affairs has already identified priorities under its strategy. These include a review of Puntland's constitution and support to civic education.

Read more about Saferworld's work in Somalia and Somaliland.

“If the new Puntland administration is committed to the implementation of the constitutional move towards multiparty democratic elections, there is much work to be done to revisit and learn from the lessons of 2012–13.”