FOR THE CONSULTATIVE DIALOGUE OF SOMALILAND POLITICAL PARTIES (Dood-cilmiyeeka Xisbiyadda Qaranka)
Somalilandsun – THEMES: DEMOCRACY, GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOMALILAND
Date: 10/2/14
Venue: Ambassador Hotel
Background
Despite the tremendous progress made in Somaliland’s state-building and democratization processes over the past two decades, many challenges still remain. Addressing these challenges require that the nation’s major stakeholders, including political parties, the civil society and the public come together as part of regular efforts to enrich and improve their collective political culture and social environment.
Central to the Somaliland model of development and democratization is the principle of “dialogue”, which is part and parcel of the principles of Somaliland constitution, has now become the trademark means through which its citizens and communities harness the profound power of its customary institutions in the pursuit of peace and reconciliation. Over time, Somaliland’s hybrid model of state-building, which weds traditional and modern institutions of governance and representation, has woven growing engagement with neighboring countries and the broader international community into the fabric of these dialogue processes, without compromising the core purpose behind such an approach.
As a result, traditional methods of dialogue have become embedded within accepted modern democratic political practices. Since the first popular elections in 2002, Somaliland’s has created a vibrant political atmosphere in which legal opposition parties ruling parties have served to hold the ruling party to account through vocal debate and consultation, so as to ensure that all government actions and activities meet the expectations of election pledges, operate in accordance the laws of the nation and promote equitable and sustainable development that improve the lives of all citizens.
In that backdrop, opposition parties, UCID and WADDANI, to reactivate their role in ensuring critical and constructive dialogue, that unites the entire country behind the shared goals of good governance and international recognition, the nation’s guardians, the House of Elders (Guurti), have spearheaded negotiations between opposition parties, the ruling party (Kulmiye) and the government over the establishment of the Consultative Dialogue for Political Parties
(Doodcilmiyeedka
Xisbibiyadda Qaranka).
The Consultative dialogue will provide the three national political parties with the opportunity to undertake discussion on a wide range of fundamental issues, including elections, foreign policy, economic development, and the Constitution of Somaliland.
The parties have agreed also that the dialogue should be hosted and facilitated by the Academy for Peace and Development (APD) in collobration Somaliland Non-state Actors Forum (SONSAF).
Therefore, APD would like to invite to submit papers that relate to the following topics:
1. Elections
a. The holding of the 2015 presidential and parliamentary elections
b. Electoral laws
c. Women’s participation
d. Minority participation
e. Voter registration
f. 2012 post-election evaluation
g. The House of Elders
2. International relations and Somaliland’s quest for recognition
a. Challenges facing Somaliland’s quest for recognition
b. The Somaliland-Somalia Dialogue
3. Development
a. Economic and social development
b. Investment
c. Natural resource management
d. Employment
4. The gaps, contradictions and required changes of the Somaliland
Constitution
a. Comparative study of Somaliland constitution
All those hoping to submit papers will need to indicate their intentions to submit a full paper by sending an email to APD with (1) the title of paper, (2) the name(s) of the author(s) and (3) an abstract.
The full manuscript should be emailed as a PDF to APD by the deadline indicated below. Authoring guidelines will be emailed to those interested after the letter of intent is received.
Address to send all papers: Mohamed Farah APD Director: xirsi_law@hotmail.com
Important Dates
Intent to submit: 21 January 2014
Decision Date: 25 January 2014
Final version Date: 3 February 2014
