April 17, 2003
South Africa's team monitoring Monday's presidential elections in northwest Somalia's breakaway republic of Somaliland has said the voting process was peaceful, orderly and transparent.
"Although technical difficulties were experienced by some polling stations visited, generally polling stations opened on time and voting got underway as planned and voters were enthusiastic and came out in large numbers, especially women, to cast their ballots," the team said.
"Overall, the voting process was peaceful, orderly and transparent," the team said in a statement released here on Wednesday.
"The counting of ballot papers was also rigorously transparent," the South African observers noted in their statement.
"We believe democracy was served by this exercise," the statement quoted mission leader Shannon Field as saying.
The statement added that the delegation was proud to have been associated with the people of Somaliland at "this historical juncture". "We wish the people of Somaliland the very best for their future and we are assured that they will build on their stability and democracy," the statement concluded.
The South African observer team toured all parts of the country where elections took place and were due to meet Somaliland Election Commission (SEC) team on Thursday befor leaving the country. The announcement of the results of the presidential vote has been delayed until Friday due to flooding in the country.
Somaliland, which unilaterally declared itself independent from the rest of Somalia in May 1991, five months after dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown, has yet to get international recognition.
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