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FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9965
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA
RUZEFAA/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUZEFAA/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

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