State and regional bodies
Elections in Somaliland (Doorashooyinka Somaliland)
Somaliland elects its President, House of Representatives and local councils by one-person-one-vote. Its constitution allows only three national political parties at a time. Since 2002 it has held four presidential, two parliamentary and three local elections. In the last one, on 13 November 2024, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi "Irro" of Waddani won the presidency with 63.92 percent of the vote. In April 2026 the House of Elders extended the terms of parliament and local councils to October 2028.
Background
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991. Israel recognised it on 26 December 2025, while most states and the African Union regard it as part of Somalia. It runs its own elections, separate from those of the federal government in Mogadishu. For its government bodies, see Somaliland's institutions. For its leaders, see Presidents of Somaliland. For the federal system, see Elections in Somalia; for Puntland, see Elections in Puntland.
How elections work
- President: elected directly for a five-year term, with a vice-president as running mate (Elections in Somaliland, Wikipedia).
- House of Representatives: 82 members, elected directly for five years (same source).
- House of Elders (Guurti): also 82 members. It is not elected by voters. Its term runs one year beyond that of the lower house (same source; Dawan Africa, April 2026).
- Three parties only: Article 9 of the constitution allows exactly three national political parties. New "political associations" can compete for those three places every ten years, in an election held alongside local elections (University of Tartu, De Facto States Research Unit, 2024). Party contests were held in 2002, 2012 and 2024 (same source).
- The commission: the Somaliland National Electoral Commission (NEC) registers voters, runs the polls and announces interim results. Results go to the courts for final certification (Somaliland NEC).
The constitution was approved in a referendum on 31 May 2001 with 97.1 percent in favour (Elections in Somaliland, Wikipedia).
Presidential elections
| Year | Winner | Party | Share | Runner-up | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Dahir Riyale Kahin | UDUB | 42.08% | Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud "Silanyo" (Kulmiye), 42.07% | 498,639 votes |
| 2010 | Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud "Silanyo" | Kulmiye | 49.59% | Dahir Riyale Kahin (UDUB), 33.23% | 50.3% of 1,069,914 |
| 2017 | Muse Bihi Abdi | Kulmiye | 55.10% | Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Waddani), 40.73% | 80.3% of 704,198 |
| 2024 | Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi "Irro" | Waddani | 63.92% | Muse Bihi Abdi (Kulmiye), 34.81% | about 53% |
Sources: Elections in Somaliland, Wikipedia; 2017 election, Wikipedia; Somaliland NEC, 2024 interim results.
- 2003: the two leading candidates were separated by about 0.01 percentage points of nearly half a million votes.
- 2017: Faysal Ali Warabe of UCID came third with 4.17 percent.
- 2024: the vote was held on 13 November 2024, after a delay from 2022. The NEC's interim count gave Irro 407,908 votes, Muse Bihi 225,519 and Faysal Ali Warabe (UCID) 4,699. Irro's running mate was Mohamed Ahmed Ali.
The 2024 party contest
On the same day, ten parties and associations competed for the three national party places (Somaliland NEC):
| Party or association | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Waddani | 216,284 | National party |
| Kaah | 131,507 | National party |
| Kulmiye | 108,100 | National party |
| Horseed | 87,218 | Not placed |
| Hilaac | 59,569 | Not placed |
| Barwaaqo | 16,852 | Not placed |
| UCID | 10,105 | Lost party status |
| Talowadaag | 6,080 | Not placed |
| Rejo | 2,083 | Not placed |
| Shacabka | 2,014 | Not placed |
The NEC said Waddani, Kaah and Kulmiye hold party status for the next ten years. Kaah was a new party, led by Mohamoud Hashi Abdi (University of Tartu, 2024).
Parliamentary and local elections
| Election | Date | Seats | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | 2005 | 82 | UDUB 33, Kulmiye 28, UCID 21 |
| House of Representatives | 31 May 2021 | 82 | Waddani 31, Kulmiye 30, UCID 21 |
| Local councils | 2002 | not given | UDUB first, with 40.8% |
| Local councils | 2012 | 323 | Kulmiye 99, Waddani 68, UCID 40, others the rest |
| Local councils | 31 May 2021 | 220 | Kulmiye 93, Waddani 79, UCID 48 |
Sources: Elections in Somaliland, Wikipedia; 2021 parliamentary election, Wikipedia; Al Jazeera, June 2021. The 2021 vote was the first parliamentary election since 2005. About 1.07 million people registered and turnout was 65.3 percent. No party had a majority, and Waddani and UCID formed a coalition. None of the 13 women candidates won a seat (same Wikipedia source).
The 2026 term extension
The next parliamentary and local elections were due on 31 May 2026. In February 2026 the NEC proposed a ten-month delay, citing drought, insecurity and technical problems (Dawan Africa). On 28 April 2026 the House of Elders voted by majority to extend the terms of the House of Representatives and the district councils by 27 months, from July 2026 to October 2028. It cited voter registration, insecurity in Sool, Sanaag, Awdal and parts of Togdheer, and drought (Dawan Africa, April 2026). Critics said the extension went beyond the NEC's request. International partners called for elections as soon as possible, in line with the NEC's technical advice (AllAfrica, April 2026; EU Delegation to Somalia, international partners' statement).
How to vote
Voters register with the NEC and receive a voter card, which they show at their polling station. Results are posted by the NEC on slnec.net and confirmed by the courts.
Its legal basis
The Constitution of Somaliland, approved in 2001, including Article 9 on the three-party limit; Somaliland's election and voter registration laws.
Sources
- Elections in Somaliland, Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Dawan Africa, April 2026 · dawan.africa
- University of Tartu, De Facto States Research Unit, 2024 · defactostates.ut.ee
- Somaliland NEC · slnec.net
- 2017 election, Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- 2021 parliamentary election, Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Al Jazeera, June 2021 · aljazeera.com
- Dawan Africa · dawan.africa
- AllAfrica, April 2026 · allafrica.com
- EU Delegation to Somalia, international partners' statement · eeas.europa.eu
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Keep reading
- Puntland's institutions: constitution, parliament, courts and electoral commissionHow Puntland's government works: its constitution, parliament, president, courts, attorney general, auditor general and electoral commission, with numbers and sources.
- Elections in Puntland (Doorashooyinka Puntland)How Puntland chooses its president, parliament and local councils: the clan-delegate system, the presidential votes from 1998 to 2024, the 2021 and 2023 direct local elections with results, and Puntland's position on federal elections.
- Somaliland's institutions: president, parliament, Guurti, courts and central bankHow Somaliland is governed: the President, the House of Representatives, the Guurti, the courts, the Bank of Somaliland and the electoral commission.
- Somaliland Ministry of Finance and Economic Development: budget and taxesWhat Somaliland's finance ministry does, who leads it, the 2026 budget, the 2027 budget process and the 2026 public finance law.
- Constitution of Somaliland (Dastuurka Somaliland)What Somaliland's 2001 constitution says: territory, religion, language, the three-party limit, the President, the House of Representatives, the Guurti, the courts, women's rights and how it can be amended, with its history from 1991.
- Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International CooperationWhat Somaliland's foreign ministry does, who leads it, its work on recognition, Israel's 2025 recognition, and its 2026 statements on Somalia, Ethiopia and Berbera.