Somaliland's 2003 elections mark another historic step after the Local Elections held in December 2002, in the process of democratisation of a country still fighting for international recognition, says a new report from a team of South African Observers who monitored Somaliland's first democratic presidential elections, held on the 14th April 2003. "The National Electoral Commission of Somaliland is commended for its role in the conduct of the elections despite the challenging socio-economic conditions under which they took place."