Polarization in Somaliland politics

ISIR engages the citizens of Somaliland in a civic engagement drive known as the “ISIR Civic Forum”. The forum is meant to provide a platform for citizens to conduct debates and dialogues in a bid to encourage public participation in Somaliland’s transition to democracy. The first activity was a preparatory roundtable discussion that was held on September 21, 2022, involving Somaliland’s Democratic Conversation. The initial preparatory event sought the participants’ insights and opinions about organizing a conference themed “Electoral Competition and Political Polarization in Somaliland.” The participants were also asked to give their views on the operationalization of ISIR’s Civic Forum.

After the roundtable, ISIR held a bigger Civic Forum, applying the insights and ideas raised during the roundtable. The Civic Forum had an attendance of over 100 people, drawn from the Somaliland Civil Society and other public institutions. To facilitate the discussions, a panel made of policymakers and experts in Somaliland’s governance, democratization, and election processes was selected. The panel discussions were moderated by a professional moderator.

The principal objective of the Civic Forum was to engage Somaliland’s Civic actors in discussions on ways to create a political environment where competing political forces achieve consensus on political issues so that even those who lose elections still have a role to play in the country’s governance.

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