Election fever grips Somaliland ahead of a tense leadership challenge.

by Kate Stanworth

Young supporters of Waddani (Somaliland National Party) – many under 16 and therefore not yet old enough to vote – gather in Freedom Park in Somaliland’s capital city, Hargeisa. An estimated 70 percent of the population are under 30. KATE STANWORTH/SAFERWORLD/AL JAZEERA

Hargeisa, Somaliland – High spirits and a celebratory atmosphere have characterised the political campaign rallies in the run-up to a long-awaited presidential election in the self-declared state of Somaliland, which is due to take place on November 13.

This is Somaliland’s first presidential election since 2010 and the stakes are high. Three candidates – Faysal Ali Warabe of UCID party, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi of Waddani party and Muse Bihi Abdi, of the ruling Kulmiye party – are vying to replace Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud “Silanyo”, the current head of state.

The contest was delayed for more than two years due to voter registration issues, lack of funding and a devastating drought.

The process will be witnessed by international election observers funded by the UK government, as well as a team of over 600 domestic observers who will be reporting on polling day using SMS.

It is hoped that a high-tech voter registration system, using iris-recognition software, will guard against electoral fraud.

In the past, there have been allegations that competing clans encouraged their members to register multiple times to increase their political influence. 

Since Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 following a bloody civil war, the region has held five largely peaceful, elections and one constitutional referendum, forging a political system that combines traditional leadership with modern representative democracy.

The fact that it is not officially recognised by any other country means that Somaliland’s political situation is complex, and the Somali Federal Government in Mogadishu still lays claim to its territory.

A boy on his way to join an UCID (Justice and Welfare Party) rally in Hargeisa. Young people in Somaliland have shown a strong interest in politics. ‘The youth have energy, and for them politics is new,’ says Abdirashid Aliahi Farah, a 26-year-old domestic election observer. ‘Some are seeing their first election. In order to get their votes, all the parties say they have youth programmes and that they care about the young.’ KATE STANWORTH/SAFERWORLD/AL JAZEERA

Supporters of Kulmiye (Peace, Unity and Development Party), the current ruling party, drive through the streets of Hargeisa displaying party colours and blaring party-promoting music, on their way to a rally. Each day only one designated party can campaign, a rule created to avoid potential conflict and security issues. KATE STANWORTH/SAFERWORLD/AL JAZEERA

UCID presidential candidate, Faysal Ali Warabe, takes a photo with a child before addressing supporters at a rally in Hargeisa. The Somaliland constitution, approved via popular referendum in 2001, allows for only three parties to exist, a ruling designed to separate party politics from clan affiliations. KATE STANWORTH/SAFERWORLD/AL JAZEERA

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