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President Muse Bihi Abdi of the ruling Kulmiye Party is seeking a second term after seven years in office. During that time, he has pushed for Somaliland’s international recognition.
Voting was underway Wednesday in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland in a key presidential election. The election was delayed for two years and comes as the Horn of Africa region is experiencing political tension.
More than 1 million people are expected to vote in more than 2,000 polling stations. Over 28 international observers spread across the country are monitoring the election process.
President Muse Bihi Abdi of the ruling Kulmiye Party is seeking a second term after seven years in office. During that time, he has pushed for Somaliland’s international recognition.
Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi of the main opposition Waddani Party campaigned on a platform of democratic reforms and social cohesion. Meanwhile, Faisal Ali Warabe of the Justice and Welfare Party advocates for a national unity government.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 amid a descent into conflict, has sustained its own government, currency, and security structures despite lacking international recognition. Over the years, the region has built a stable political environment, contrasting sharply with Somalia’s ongoing struggles with insecurity.
The region’s economic struggles were among the reasons cited by the government when it announced a delay in the presidential election in 2022. Somaliland’s latest agreement with neighbouring Ethiopia granting it access to the Indian Ocean in exchange for recognition has caused political tension with Somalia, which accuses Ethiopia of undermining its territorial integrity.
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This will be Somaliland’s fourth presidential election. The country’s delayed presidential elections raised concerns about the stability and consistency of its electoral process.
