# The 2001 Somaliland constitutional referendum

> Somaliland's constitutional referendum of 31 May 2001: what the constitution said, the reported 97 percent yes vote, the opposition in Mogadishu and Puntland, and the start of party politics.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/history/somaliland-constitutional-referendum-2001/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## In short

"On 31 May, the 'Somaliland' administration carried out a referendum on a new constitution. The first article of the constitution asserted the independence of 'Somaliland', while other articles made new provisions for political parties and elections," the UN Secretary-General reported ([UN Security Council, S/2001/963, para. 18](https://documents.un.org/api/symbol/access?s=S/2001/963&l=en&t=pdf)).

"There was no electoral register but the estimated number of voters was put at 1.3 million and officials claimed that 97 per cent of the voters endorsed the constitution" (same source, para. 19). For the 1991 declaration, see [the Burao conference and Somaliland's declaration](/en/history/somaliland-declaration-1991/).

## The vote

From the UN report ([S/2001/963, paras. 18–19](https://documents.un.org/api/symbol/access?s=S/2001/963&l=en&t=pdf)):

- **Opposition.** "The 'Puntland' administration, as well as the TNG [[Transitional National Government](/en/history/transitional-governments-2000-2012/)], opposed the referendum on the grounds that it violated the Act of Union of 1960." See [independence and union, 1960](/en/history/independence-and-union-26-june-1-july-1960/).
- **Observers.** "Although the referendum was peaceful, it was largely avoided by the international community."
- **The OAU.** A week before the vote, the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity, Salim A. Salim, said the OAU "could not support any action that would affect the unity and sovereignty of Somalia".
- **Recognition.** After the vote, President [Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal](/en/people/mohamed-haji-ibrahim-egal/) "called on the international community to recognize 'Somaliland'".

## What the constitution set up

- **Parties.** Article 9 allows exactly three national political parties. New political associations compete for those places every ten years in a vote held alongside local elections ([University of Tartu, De Facto States Research Unit, 2024](https://defactostates.ut.ee/the-system-worked-somalilands-2024-presidential-and-political-party-elections/)).
- **Parliament.** Two houses: an elected House of Representatives and a House of Elders ([Guurti](/en/institutions/somaliland-institutions/)) whose members are "appointed by kinship groups" ([International Election Observation Mission, 2018, p. 16](https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10047014/1/SOMALILAND-ELECTION-REPORT_WEB2.pdf)).
- **First party.** In early July 2001 Egal formed a new party, the Allied People's Democratic Party (UDUB), "in preparation for parliamentary and presidential elections expected in 2002" ([S/2001/963, para. 20](https://documents.un.org/api/symbol/access?s=S/2001/963&l=en&t=pdf)).

For the elections held under it, see [elections in Somaliland](/en/institutions/elections-in-somaliland/) and [the 2003 presidential election](/en/history/somaliland-presidential-election-2003/).

## After the vote, 2001

From the UN report ([S/2001/963, paras. 20–21](https://documents.un.org/api/symbol/access?s=S/2001/963&l=en&t=pdf)):

- **18 July 2001.** After a five-day meeting in [Burao](/en/regions/togdheer/), some elders said UDUB was unconstitutional and called for it to be disbanded. "Another larger group of elders refuted the allegation."
- **Impeachment motion.** The same day, members of parliament tabled a motion to impeach Egal for "financial mismanagement and high treason, claiming that he had failed to pursue secession effectively". It was rejected in August.
- **Mass graves.** In March 2001 Egal asked the UN to investigate "what he alleged was genocide carried out in parts of 'Somaliland' by the former Barre regime", including mass graves found in Hargeisa. See [the Isaaq genocide, 1987–1989](/en/history/isaaq-genocide-1987-1989/).

## Who suffered?

- **People in the east of [Somaliland](/en/states/somaliland-1991-to-2026/)'s claimed territory** who rejected its rule. The UN recorded that [Puntland](/en/states/puntland/) opposed the vote (S/2001/963). See [North Eastern State](/en/states/north-eastern-state/).

## Sources differ

- **The turnout and result.** With no voter register, the 1.3 million voters and the 97 percent yes vote were figures given by Somaliland officials (S/2001/963).
- **Its legal effect.** Somaliland's government holds that the referendum confirmed the 1991 declaration. The TNG, Puntland and the OAU held that Somalia's unity under the 1960 Act of Union stands.

## Read the primary sources yourself

- UN Secretary-General, report on Somalia, S/2001/963 (11 October 2001), paras. 18–21: [PDF](https://documents.un.org/api/symbol/access?s=S/2001/963&l=en&t=pdf).

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