Somaliland Voters Head to Polls to Elect New Leadership

GOOBJOOG NEWS | HARGEISA: Voters in Somaliland on Wednesday headed to the polls in a much anticipated exercise to elect a new government that will lead the region for the next five years.

The race for the region’s presidency features three major contenders; incumbent president Muse Bihi of the Kulmiye Party, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi of the Waddani Party and Faisal Ali Warabe of the UCID Party.

The region’s citizens will also vote to decide which political parties will dominate Somaliland’s political landscape in the years to come. 

The election marks a major test for Somaliland, which has managed relative peace and stability despite ongoing struggles for international recognition.

In total, ten political organizations are fighting for a 20% threshold of the total votes across the region’s five regions – with parties achieving this being recognized as official political parties eligible to participate in future elections in the region.

Elections in the region had delayed for two years following disagreements over election sequencing after the government proposed holding party elections before the presidential race, allowing party leaders to emerge before choosing the head of state.

However, the opposition contested the government’s proposal, instead pushing for both votes to be conducted simultaneously to maintain fairness.

The deadlock led to protests and sporadic violence, including clashes between security forces and opposition groups after President Muse Bihi Abdi’s term was extended by two years, a move that fueled public frustration.

Eventually, traditional elders brokered a compromise, leading to a unified election day.

President Muse Bihi faces stiff competition from Wadani party candidate Abdirahman Cirro whose candidature received a major boost following an endorsement by vice president Abdirahman Abdullahi Ismail – posing a major political setback for the incumbent.

The election is seen as a determining moment for Somaliland’s political direction and also has wider implications on Somalia in general.

Preliminary results are expected to start trickling in late Wednesday when observers at various polling stations within the region complete tallying votes for both presidential candidates and those of political organizations.