The Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Somaliland, Muse Yusuf Hassan, announced the official results of the presidential and party elections this morning.
The election, held on November 13, saw a voter turnout of 647,863, representing 53% of the total 1.2 million registered voters.
Abdirahman Abdillahi Irro, chairman of the opposition Waddani Party, emerged victorious, securing 407,908 votes, equivalent to 63.92%.
Irro’s victory marks a significant shift in Somaliland’s political landscape as he becomes the fourth President of the self-declared republic.
Incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi, representing the Kulmiye Party, came in second with 258,519 votes, accounting for 34.81% of the total.
Faisal Ali Warabe of the UCID Party received 4,699 votes, representing just 0.74%.
This election underscores the maturing democratic process in Somaliland, a region that has prided itself on relative political stability in the Horn of Africa.
Despite being internationally unrecognized, Somaliland continues to hold competitive and peaceful elections, setting it apart from many neighboring regions.
The peaceful transfer of power following this election will likely enhance Somaliland’s reputation as a beacon of democracy in the region.
In addition to the presidential election, the results of Somaliland’s partisanship contest were announced, with three parties emerging victorious: Waddani, Kulmiye, and Kaah.
These parties defeated seven other contestants to secure their status as recognized political parties.
Notably, the UCID Party, one of Somaliland’s oldest and most established political parties, failed to win in this election, marking a significant shift in the political landscape.
The partisanship contest in Somaliland is a unique process where the electorate selects parties that will dominate the political arena for the next decade. This system aims to ensure political stability and streamline governance.
However, as local politics in Somaliland is usually based on clan affilitations, the defeat of UCID reflects a changing political dynamic as voters increasingly align with newer or more dominant parties.