SOMALIA - Progress on Somaliland Election Process

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 001271 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR AF/E E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SO SUBJECT: SOMALIA - Progress on Somaliland Election Process Ref: Nairobi 1179 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: June 23 marked a breakthrough in Somaliland's electoral process after talks had stalled among key stakeholders. On June 19, we met with the Somaliland Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Finance in Nairobi as part of a coordinated effort by donors to break the stalemate (reftel) and gain immediate agreement on key election preparations. We emphasized that the Somaliland government's financial contribution and a consensus Code of Conduct is necessary to move forward on next steps, including the parameters of a final voter registration list. Although the government representatives appeared to backpedal on certain items, in the end the ministers returned to Hargeisa and the government honored its commitments. On June 22, the Minister of Finance deposited USD 1 million for the Somaliland contribution to the electoral process and on June 23, President Riyale told our partners that he agreed to further strengthen the National Electoral Commission (NEC) by changing 3 or 4 of its members. All of the pre-conditions for re-engagement have been made and the donors have agreed to move forward in partnership with the Somaliland government, the NEC, and the three political parties to make the necessary preparations for elections. End Summary. -------------- A Coordinated Message to the Somaliland Government -------------- ¶2. (SBU) As of the week of June 15, all indications were that talks among Somaliland's political parties, the National Electoral Council (NEC),and government had broken down. The government appeared to be backpedalling on earlier commitments it had made on the May pre-conditions for donor funding established by the international Somaliland Democratization Committee (reftel). In particular, the government indicated it would reject any effort by the donors to set conditions for funding and stated it was prepared to proceed with the election even without international supprt. On June 18, President Riyale sent Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullahi Duale and Minister of Finance Hussein Ali Duale to Nairobi to express the government's dissatisfaction with the pre-conditions and and with the donors' push to reconstitute the NEC. ¶3. (SBU) Representatives from the international community's Democratization Committee met on June 17 to review the current situation and agree on talking points for the bilateral meetings with the Somaliland ministers. We also agreed on language for a joint press release from the Committee noting with concern that consensual decisions on a number of urgent issues have yet to be reached by the parties and urging all stakeholders to be mindful of their responsibilities to the electorate and the democratic aspirations of the people of Somaliland. (Note: The press release from the committee ran in the Somaliland press on June 22. End Note). ¶4. (SBU) Somalia Unit and USAID representatives met with the ministers on June 19. The Somaliland government delegation had previously met with Sweden and Norway at the same time, and separately with DFID and the EC. From the read-outs provided by our colleagues, we all made similar points with the government officials in our separate meetings. During our meeting, we made the following points: -- The USG is deeply concerned at the breakdown in negotiations on the Code of Conduct and parameters for the Final Voter List. -- The pre-conditions as laid out in the May letter from donors are non-negotiable. -- We received confirmation that the opposition parties have agreed to the pre-conditions, therefore it is only the ruling party that can be accused of being an obstacle to the process. -- We are not confident in the NEC's ability to administer free and fair elections due to internal bickering, evidence of corruption, and lack of capacity. -- The international community will not be able to fund the elections if the NEC is not reconstituted. -------------- Commitment to Timely Elections and NAIROBI 00001271 002 OF 002 Fulfilling Agreements -------------- ¶5. (SBU) In response to our points, the Somalilanders stressed their commitment to hold elections on time. However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs warned that any changes to the NEC would require parliamentary approval which could further delay elections. We replied that if the political will is there, swift approval of new members through parliament would be possible. The Minister of Finance indicated that discussions were underway between the political parties and while a complete change in membership was impossible, replacing 3 or 4 might be possible. (Note: The NEC has a total of seven members. End Note.) The Minister of Finance announced that the Somaliland government would deposit its contribution for election preparations (an equivalent of $1.25 million) into a special account with the NEC. ¶6. (SBU) The Minister of Foreign Affairs registered the government's dissatisfaction with Interpeace (our NGO partner supporting the voter registration process) and one staff member in particular whom he accused of supporting the UCID opposition party. We acknowledged personality issues may arise in such delicate work but reiterated confidence in Interpeace as a solid partner in the election process. The technical expert who accompanied the two ministers brought up concerns with the parameters for the Final Voter List. We said that we were not in a position to discuss the technical minutiae of the list and reminded the government that it is the parties who must determine the final parameters. We reminded them that consensus is critical to the creation of an agreed final list. ¶7. (SBU) At the end of the meeting, the government indicated a willingness to move forward on reconstituting the NEC and to complete the negotiations for the Code of Conduct. The Minister of Finance pledged to deposit the agreed funds into a dedicated account upon his return to Hargeisa. The ministers expressed once more the government's commitment to do everything possible to ensure elections take place on September 27, 2009. -------------- Breakthrough in Negotiations -------------- ¶8. (SBU) On June 23, there was a breakthrough in the political stalemate. As promised, the Somaliland government deposited $1.25 million into a separate bank account that the current NEC would not be able to immediately access. This deposit was confirmed by the Minister of Finance and his Director General. Negotiations on the Code of Conduct resumed. The stakeholders reached agreement on a solution for the competence and integrity of NEC. All parties, including President Riyale, agreed to change 3 or 4 members of the NEC and they requested additional training and capacity-building assistance for the new commission. The parties and the NEC also signed an agreement on the server parameters for the Final Voter List, making it possible to produce the final list. With these actions, all of the donor pre-conditions have been met. The expectation is now that, with a signed Code Of Conduct and a new and strengthened NEC, the NEC will be able to effectively oversee the process, act as an arbitrator, and monitor use of state and donor resources. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶9. (SBU) As in the past, the Somalilanders were successfully able to reach consensus on the most critical components of the electoral process. This has become a pattern: total breakdown in the negotiations among the stakeholders followed by coordinated donor pressure that successfully encourages all parties to return to the table. A consistent message by all the donors has been critical to keeping the electoral process moving. A firm commitment by the Somalilanders to consensus and a democratic process is also key. It is a critical point we made during the meeting and remains one of the most salient points for all stakeholders. While the timeline is tight, Somaliland will still be able to hold elections on September 27, provided there are no additional delays. RANNEBERGER