# Waddani (Somaliland National Party) > Waddani, the Somaliland National Party: founding in 2012, leaders, every election result from 2012 to 2024, and its place among the three national parties. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/government/waddani-party/ Last checked: 2026-11-13 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## What is Waddani? Waddani is one of the three national political parties of Somaliland. Its full Somali name is *Xisbiga Waddani ee Somaliland*, which Wikipedia translates as "Patriotic Party of Somaliland" ([Wikipedia, Somaliland National Party](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waddani)). Its headquarters are in Hargeisa (same source). Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as "Irro", founded the party in 2012, before that year's local elections ([Xisbiga Waddani, About Waddani, archived 2020](https://web.archive.org/web/20200621175429/https://waddani-party.org/about-waddani/)). Irro had been Speaker of the House of Representatives before that. See [Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro](/en/people/abdirahman-mohamed-abdullahi-irro/). ## Why are there only three parties? Somaliland's constitution allows only three national parties at a time. The Academy for Peace and Development says the rule was written to avoid the many clan-based parties of the 1960s ([APD, A Vote for Change, May 2021](https://apd-ipp.com/apd-somaliland/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Somaliland-2021-Special-Pre-Election-Report-FINAL-UPDATED-3.pdf)). New associations compete for the three places every ten years ([University of Tartu, De Facto States Research Unit, 2024](https://defactostates.ut.ee/the-system-worked-somalilands-2024-presidential-and-political-party-elections/)). Waddani won one of the three places in 2012. It replaced the United Peoples' Democratic Party (UDUB), the party of former President [Dahir Riyale Kahin](/en/people/dahir-riyale-kahin/) ([Institute for Security Studies, October 2017](https://media.africaportal.org/documents/eastern_africa_report15.pdf)). ## What does the party say it stands for? The party's 2017 programme proposed public health care, more spending on schools and a 30 percent share of parliament seats for women ([Xisbiga Waddani, Barnaamijka Xisbiga, archived 2020](https://web.archive.org/web/20200623051138/https://waddani-party.org/barnaamijka-xisbiga/)). Europe Elects described it in 2021 as leaning centre-left on the economy, with a strong place for Islamic values and support for more decentralisation ([Europe Elects, 31 May 2021](https://web.archive.org/web/20210602231811/https://europeelects.eu/2021/05/31/somaliland-parliamentary-elections-peace-and-democracy/)). A University of Tartu review of 2021 called Waddani "populist" ([Kristel Vits, University of Tartu, 24 Jan 2022](https://sisu.ut.ee/defactostates/overview-2021-elections-strife-and-suspense/)). ## Who leads it? - **Founder and 2017 and 2024 candidate:** Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi "Irro" (sources above). - **Chair from 16 November 2021:** Hersi Ali Haji Hassan, elected at the party's second general convention ([BBC Somali, 16 Nov 2021](https://www.bbc.com/somali/war-59308522); [MENAFN, 15 Nov 2021](https://menafn.com/1103177217/Somaliland-Waddani-Opposition-Party-Holds-2nd-General-Convention)). - **Vice President of Somaliland from December 2024:** [Mohamed Aw-Ali Abdi](/en/people/mohamed-aw-ali-abdi/), Irro's running mate ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waddani)). ## How has Waddani done in elections? **Local elections** - **2012:** 244,795 votes, 30.19 percent, 68 of 323 council seats, second place ([Wikipedia, Waddani, election tables](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waddani)). - **2021:** 260,841 votes, 37.83 percent, 79 of 220 council seats, second place (same source). **President** - **13 November 2017:** Irro won 226,092 votes (40.73 percent). [Muse Bihi Abdi](/en/people/muse-bihi-abdi/) of Kulmiye won with 305,909 (55.10 percent). Turnout was 80.32 percent of 704,198 registered voters ([Somaliland NEC, final polling-station results, archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180516215507/http://www.slnec.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Final-PollingStation-Results.pdf)). - **13 November 2024:** Irro won 407,908 votes (63.92 percent) against 225,519 (34.81 percent) for Muse Bihi Abdi. Bihi conceded and Irro took office in December 2024 ([Scott Pegg, University of Tartu, 9 Dec 2024](https://defactostates.ut.ee/the-system-worked-somalilands-2024-presidential-and-political-party-elections/)). See [the 2024 Somaliland presidential election](/en/history/somaliland-presidential-election-2024/). **Parliament** - **31 May 2021:** in the first parliamentary vote since 2005, Waddani won 31 of 82 seats, the most of any party ([Reuters, 6 Jun 2021](https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/somaliland-opposition-win-majority-first-parliamentary-vote-since-2005-2021-06-06/)). It then joined UCID in a coalition holding 52 seats, against 30 for Kulmiye ([AFP via VOA, 10 Jun 2021](https://www.voanews.com/a/africa_somaliland-opposition-joins-forces-grab-control-parliament/6206719.html)). **Party status** - **13 November 2024:** in the contest for the three national party places, Waddani came first with 216,284 votes, ahead of Kaah (131,507) and Kulmiye (108,100). The three keep party status for ten years ([Somaliland NEC, interim results](https://slnec.net/news/somaliland-national-electoral-commission-releases-interim-results-of-the-november-13-double-election)). ## How Waddani worked with Kaah in 2024 Before the 2024 vote, the new Kaah association backed Irro for president. Somaliland Chronicle reported the alliance in August 2024 ([Somaliland Chronicle, 5 Aug 2024](https://somalilandchronicle.com/2024/08/05/wadani-kaah-coalition-restructuring-somaliland-political-landscape/)). See [Kaah](/en/government/kaah-party/). ## Related pages - [Elections in Somaliland](/en/institutions/elections-in-somaliland/) - [Kulmiye](/en/government/kulmiye-party/) - [UCID, the Justice and Welfare Party](/en/government/ucid-justice-and-welfare-party/) - [Presidents of Somaliland](/en/institutions/presidents-of-somaliland/) - [Somaliland, 1991 to 2026](/en/states/somaliland-1991-to-2026/) --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. 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