GAROWE, Puntland (July 18, 2012) – Somali Family Services (SFS) was honored to host Mr. Michael Walls, an international election observer with experience in Somaliland, as well as Interpeace Democratization Program Officer Mr. Shermark Ali at the Puntland Library and Resource Center (PLRC) last Thursday. Walls was in Garowe to explore the possibility of election observation in Puntland. 

Puntland is in the process of introducing a multi-party electoral system and aims to learn from Somaliland’s recent experience to ensure a successful free and fair election in 2013.

Election monitoring is a powerful tool in promoting and strengthening democracy. According to the Carter Center, international election observers play an important role in supplying impartial and accurate assessments about electoral environments. International observer teams typically include members of foreign governments, intergovernmental associations, international NGOs and multilateral agencies.

Walls works in the Development Planning Unit at University College London, has electoral observation experience in Somaliland from 2005-2010 and did his development plan research background in Somalia.

Abdurashid Ali, Executive Director of SFS, had an opportunity to share SFS’s work on democratization with Walls and discuss ways that SFS can use the opportunity presented by new elections to address the areas of civic and voter education. Walls then briefly addressed a group of civil society and government actors who were meeting at PLRC as part of an SFS forum to strengthen the link between civil society and government.

For more information, please contact Nafisa Abdirahman at nafisa.abdirahman@ussfs.org or visit www.ussfs.org.

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Somali Family Services (SFS) is a non-governmental organization dedicated to fostering a peaceful and democratic Somalia through the support of civil society, women, youth and other marginalized groups.