Back on track? Somaliland after its 2017 presidential election

Abstract

On 13 December 2017, Somaliland’s fifth president, Musa Bihi Abdi, was inaugurated. Bihi ran as candidate for the ruling Kulmiye party after the incumbent president, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud ‘Silanyo’, decided not to seek re-election. Article Nine of Somaliland’s Constitution allows for only three political parties, and Bihi defeated Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi ‘Irro’ of Waddani party, and Faisal Ali ‘Warabe’ of the For Justice and Development (UCID) party. The race was widely expected to be a close contest between Kulmiye and Waddani, with UCID playing a minor role. Ultimately, though, Bihi secured an outright majority with 55.1 percent (305,909 votes) to Irro’s 40.7 percent (226,092 votes) and Warabe’s 4.2 percent (23,141 votes). In securing more votes than the other two parties combined, Kulmiye’s margin of victory of 79,817 votes exceeded most expectations. Domestic and international observers found minor problems with the election but generally hailed its peaceful and orderly nature. This briefing reflects on the election and campaign, and assesses the key challenges facing the new administration. President Bihi’s daunting ‘to-do’ list includes determining the future of Somaliland’s iris-based voter registration system, enabling badly delayed legislative elections, reevaluating Somaliland’s increasingly dysfunctional hybrid mix of traditional and modern governance, developing potential oil reserves and deciding whether to resume talks with Mogadishu.