Muse Bihi wins poll with 55% to extend Kulmiye’s rule in Somaliland

Kulmiye’s Muse Bihi Abdi has been declared winner of the November 13 presidential poll in Somaliland effectively extending the party’s hold on power since 2010.

Somaliland Electoral Commission chairman Abdikadir Iman Warsame announced Bihi winner having garnered 350,909 votes translating to 55.19% of the vote while his erstwhile opponent Waddani’s Abdirahman Irro came second with 226,099 (40.73%). UCID’s Faisal Ali Warabe trailed at a distant third with 23,141 (4.17%).

Bihi becomes the 5th president of Somaliland since it declared secession from Somalia in 1991.

The exercise saw an 80% turn out which amounted to 556,617 voters out of the registered 704,089.

Irro had on Monday declared he would not be party to the poll results over what he termed as massive electoral irregularities including ballot box stuffing and intimidation of his party’s officials. He however noted he would pursue a legal and peaceful process to have the issues addressed.

The incumbent Ahmed Silanyo has been in office since 2010. His term was to come to an end in 2015 but the polls were delayed severally.