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Politics of Somaliland
Politics of Somaliland
	National Emblem of Somaliland
Polity type	Unitary presidential constitutional republic
Constitution	Constitution of Somaliland
Legislative branch
Name	Parliament
Type	Bicameral
Meeting place	Somaliland Parliament Place
	Upper house
Name	House of Elders
Presiding officer	Suleiman Mohamoud Adan
	Lower house
Name	House of Representatives
Presiding officer	Yasin Haji Mohamoud, Speaker of the House of Representatives
Executive branch
	Head of state and government
Title	President
Currently	Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi
Appointer	Direct popular vote
	Cabinet
Current cabinet	Cabinet of Somaliland
Headquarters	Presidential Palace - Qasriga Madaxtooyada JSL
Ministries	23
Judicial branch
Name	Judiciary
	Supreme Court
Chief judge	Adan Haji Ali
Seat	Supreme Court Building

The politics of Somaliland take place within a hybrid system of governance, which, under the Somaliland constitution, combines traditional and western institutions. The constitution separates government into an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judicial branch, each of which functions independently from the others.^[1]^[2]

History

For its first twelve years, Somaliland had no political parties but instead followed more traditional clan-based forms of political organization. Political parties were introduced during the presidential elections and it was hoped that the recent parliamentary elections would help to usher in a representative system without allowing representation to be overtly clan-based.^[3]

District elections then held determined which parties were allowed to contest the parliamentary and presidential elections, where a party was required to demonstrate at least twenty percent of the popular vote from four out of the six regions. This was designed to ensure that parties would not organize around ethnic lines. Three parties were selected to submit presidential candidates: the United Democratic Peoples’ Party (UDUB), Kulmiye, and the Party for Justice and Welfare (UCID). On April 14, 2003, 488,543^{[citation needed]} voters participated in the presidential elections, which ran more or less smoothly. The result was a slim eighty vote controversial victory for UDUB over the Kulmiye, complicated by allegations of ballot stuffing against the incumbent UDUB. Despite calls for the Kulmiye to form a rival government, the party’s leadership did not do so, instead choosing to abide by the Supreme Court ruling that declared UDUB’s victory. Despite minor demonstrations, the transition to the presidency of Dahir Riyale Kahin proceeded peacefully. A traditional system of governance consisted of clan elders who go by titles such as sultans, guurti or akils. They usually ordered the paying of diya, which is a payment system for any grievances, or dealt in arbitration matters.^[4]

System of government

The outgoing president, Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur, leaves the hall alongside newly elected President Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal. Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur is being congratulated by an elder on his decision to accept the outcome of the election and stand down peacefully after several days intense debate and negotiation.

Somaliland has a hybrid system of governance combining traditional and western institutions. In a series of inter-clan conferences, culminating in the Borama Conference in 1993, a qabil (clan or community) system of government was constructed, which consisted of an Executive, with a President, Vice President, and legislative government; a bicameral Legislature; and an independent judiciary.^[5] The traditional Somali elderates (guurti) was incorporated into the governance structure and formed the upper house, responsible for managing internal conflicts. Government became in essence a "power-sharing coalition of Somaliland's main clans," with seats in the Upper and Lower houses proportionally allocated to clans according to a pre-determined formula. In 2002, after several extensions of this interim government, Somaliland finally made the transition to multi-party democracy, with district council elections contested by six parties.^[5]

Current situation

Despite setbacks in 1994 and 1996, Somaliland has managed to prosper, assisted by its trade in livestock with Saudi Arabia. According to The Economist, it is east Africa’s strongest democracy.^[6]

It faces some significant problems to its continued survival. Like other Somali governments, it lacks a consistent taxation base and receives most of its support from private actors. Corruption remains a problem, women are virtually unrepresented in government, and there are growing concerns about voting patterns based on ethnic lines.

Economic development has been heavily supported by the diaspora, although lack of international recognition prevents international aid to it as a country.

International relations

In 2005 Somaliland joined the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO), an international organization dedicated to the promotion of the right to self-determination.^[7] The UN still says there are some boundaries Somaliland will have to cross before it is recognized.^[8]

Wales

On March 1, 2006, the Welsh Assembly invited Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, the speaker of the Somaliland parliament to the opening of a new Assembly building. Mr. Abdullahi said that Somaliland sees his invitation "as a mark of recognition by the National Assembly for Wales that [Somaliland has] legitimacy." The Somali community in Wales numbers 8,000-10,000, most of whom come from Somaliland.

In December 2006 representatives of the Somaliland Parliament again attended the Welsh Assembly receiving a standing ovation from its members. Two months earlier the Assembly approved the establishment of an aid budget for Africa. These moves were approved by the UK Foreign Office and Department for International Development and are seen as an attempt by the UK to encourage and reward the authorities in its former colony while avoiding the issue of formal recognition.^[9]

Executive branch

Main office-holders
Office	Name	Party	Since
President	Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi	Waddani	12 December 2024

Legislative branch

The Parliament (Baarlamaanka) has two chambers. The House of Representatives (Golaha Wakiilada) has 82 members, elected for a five-year term. The House of Elders (Golaha Guurtida) has 82 members, representing traditional leaders.

Political parties and elections

Somaliland elects on national level a head of state (the president) and a legislature. The president is elected by the people for a five-year term. The Constitution limits the number of legal political parties to three at a time. As of 2012^[update], the three legal political parties in the country are the Peace, Unity, and Development Party, Waddani, and For Justice and Development.

Presidential elections


Candidate		Running mate	Party	Votes	%
	Muse Bihi Abdi	Abdirahman Saylici	Peace, Unity, and Development Party	305,909	55.10
	Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi	Mohamed Ali	Waddani	226,092	40.73
	Faysal Ali Warabe	Abdi Ahmed Musa Abyan	For Justice and Development	23,141	4.17
Total				555,142	100.00

Valid votes				555,142	98.15
Invalid/blank votes				10,475	1.85
Total votes				565,617	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				704,198	80.32
Source: SLNEC

Parliamentary elections

Official results of the election took about a week to be announced.^[10] The NEC released provisional results of five electoral districts – Garadag, Hudun, Lughaya, Salahlay and Zeila – on 2 June.^[11] In those districts, Kulmiye received 24 seats, Waddani received 15, and UCID received 10.^[11] The NEC warned government officials and political parties against speculating on election results while counting was still underway.^[12]

On 6 June, the NEC published the final results, announcing that Waddani had received 31 seats, Kulmiye had received 30 seats, and UCID had received 21 seats.^[13] In a joint statement, Waddani and UCID announced they would form a governing coalition.^[13] Waddani and UCID also won a majority of seats together in the municipal elections.^[13] Of the 13 female candidates, none were elected to a parliamentary seat.^[13]



Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Waddani	258,658	37.22	31	New
	Kulmiye Peace, Unity, and Development Party	256,524	36.91	30	+2
	Justice and Welfare Party	179,735	25.86	21	0
Total		694,917	100.00	82	0

Registered voters/turnout		1,065,847	–
Source: EC, Reuters, EC

By region

Distribution of seats and popular vote by party by region^[14]
		Awdal	Sahil	Marodi Jeh	Togdheer	Sanaag	Sool	Total
Waddani	Seats:	5	3	7	7	5	4	31
Waddani	Vote:	37.43%	28.51%	37.59%	43.23%	37.98%	30.58%	37.22%
Kulmiye	Seats:	5	4	8	4	4	5	30
Kulmiye	Vote:	41.33%	40.39%	38.04%	29.87%	32.85%	42.55%	36.91%
UCID	Seats:	3	3	5	4	3	3	21
UCID	Vote:	21.24%	31.11%	24.36%	26.91%	29.17%	26.86%	25.86%

Current Cabinet

The Council of Ministers run the day-to-day operations of the country. The cabinet is nominated by the president and the president has the authority to nominate, reshuffle and also dismiss the ministers. Ministers are approved by the House of Representatives which is the lower house of the Parliament. The cabinet is composed of ministers, deputy ministers and also state ministers. The number of ministers in Somaliland changes from time to time, and now there is composed of the 23 Ministries,^[15] as the cabinet is reshuffled. As of 1 December 2019^[ref], the cabinet consists of:^[16]

No	Office	Minister	Since
1	Ministry of Agricultural Development	Ahmed Maxamed Habane	December 2013
2	Ministry of Commerce, Industries and Tourism	Mohamoud Hassan Saad	December 2019
3	Ministry of Defence	Dr Rooble Abdi Elmi	March 2024
4	Ministry of Education and Science	Ahmed Adan Buhane	December 2023
5	Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs	Eng Ali Omar Max'ed xoorxoor	Jul 2023
6	Ministry of Energy & Minerals	Abdilahi Faarax Abdi	December 2022
7	Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs	Mohamed Adan Elmi	July 2023
8	Ministry of Environment and Rural Development	Shukri Haji Ismail	June 2013
9	Ministry of Finance Development	Dr. Sa'ad Ali Shire	November 2018
10	Ministry of Foreign Affairs	Dr. Essa Kayd	September 2021
11	Ministry of Health Development	Xasan Maxamed Cali gaafadhi	April 2021
12	Ministry of Information, Guidance and Culture	Cali Xasan Maxamed Mareexaan	January 2024
13	Ministry of Interior	Mohamed Kahin Ahmed	December 2017
14	Ministry of Investment and industry	Abdirisaaq Ibraahin Mohamed	November 2023
15	Ministry of Justice	Saleeban Warsame Guuleed	December 2020
16	Ministry of Livestock & Fisheries Development	Said Sulub Mohamed	December 2019
17	Ministry of Parliamentary Relations and Constitutional Affairs	Abdinasir Maxamuud Xasan buuni	February 2024
18	Ministry of Planning and National Development	Ahmed Mohammed Diiriye Toorno	August 2023
19	Ministry of Public Works, Land and Housing	Mustafe Maxamuud cali bille	March 2024
20	Ministry of Telecommunications and Technology	Dr: Axmed Yusuf Idiris	February 2024
21	Ministry of Transportation and Roads Development	Raabi Cabdi Maxamed	May 2023
22	Ministry of Water Development	Saleeban Ali koore	February 2024
23	Ministry of Youth and Sports	Abdirisaaq Muuse Faarax	March 2024