Somaliland National Party
Xisbiga Waddani
LeaderHersi Ali Haji Hassan[1][2]
FounderAbdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi
Founded2012
Split fromUCID
HeadquartersHargeisa
IdeologySomaliland nationalism
Islamic democracy
Populism
Political positionSyncretic
House of Representatives
31 / 82
Local councillors
79 / 220
Party flag
Website
waddani-party.org

The Somaliland National Party (Somali: Xisbiga Waddani, lit. 'Patriotic Party'), sometimes referred to as the Waddani National Party and better known by its shortened Somali form Waddani, is a political party in Somaliland. The party was founded by Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) in 2012, ahead of the second municipal elections later that year.[3] On 16 November 2021 Hersi Ali Haji Hassan was elected as the new chairman of the opposition party.[1][2]

Economically the party leans left, defending the establishment of a universal healthcare system, public investment and doubling resources in education. It is progressive on issues regarding minority rights and fundamental freedoms, such as proposing a quorum of 30% of women in parliament. The party also supports greater decentralisation. Additionally, the party places great importance on Islamic moral and cultural heritage, and intends to give it a more important place in the education system and in the establishment of laws. The party's economic and diplomatic policy is also more nationalist than that of its rivals, and this nationalism also applies to issues of defense, with the party promising to increase funding dedicated to the army.[4][5]

The constitution of Somaliland only allows for the top three political parties to contest elections, to avoid the previous proliferation of clan-based parties in the 1960s.[6] Waddani became one of the three in 2012, replacing the United Peoples' Democratic Party (UDUB).[7]

2017 Somaliland presidential election

Presidential elections were held on 13 November 2017, the third direct presidential election since 2003. General elections had been scheduled to be held on 27 March 2017 to elect both the President and House of Representatives,[8] but were postponed by six months due to the drought condition in the region.[9] The elections to elect the President and Vice President were eventually held separately on 13 November.[10] Incumbent President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud of the Peace, Unity, and Development Party (Kulmiye) did not run for a second term.

The result was a victory for ruling Kulmiye party candidate Muse Bihi Abdi, who received 55% of the vote.

Candidate Party Votes %
Muse Bihi AbdiPeace, Unity, and Development Party305,90955.10
Abdirahman Mohamed AbdullahiWaddani226,09240.73
Faisal Ali WarabeFor Justice and Development23,1414.17
Invalid/blank votes10,475–
Total565,617100
Registered voters/turnout704,19880.32
Source: SLNEC

2021 Somaliland parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Somaliland on 31 May 2021, the first since 2005.[11] On 6 June it was announced that Waddani had received 31 out of 82 seats and it will form a coalition with the Justice and Welfare Party (UCID).[12] The coalition will have 52 seats combined, compared to previous ruling party Kulmiye which has only 30.[13]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Waddani31New
Kulmiye Peace, Unity, and Development Party30+2
Justice and Welfare Party210
Total820
Registered voters/turnout1,065,847–
Source: Reuters

Electoral history

Presidential elections

Election Party candidate Votes % Result
2017 Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi "Irro" 226,092 40.73% Lost Red X

Parliamentary elections

Election Votes % Seats +/– Position
2021 259,144 37.23%
31 / 82
 Increase 31 Increase 1st

Local elections

Election Votes % Seats +/– Position
2012 244,795 30.19%
68 / 323
 Increase 68 Increase 2nd
2021 260,841 37.83%
79 / 220
 Increase 11 Steady 2nd

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Waa kuma Xirsi, Guddoomiyaha cusub ee xisbiga Waddani?". BBC News Somali (in Somali). 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Somaliland: Waddani Opposition Party Holds 2nd General Convention". MENAFN. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  3. ↑ "About Waddani". Xisbiga Waddani. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  4. ↑ Stebach, Adèle (31 May 2021). "Somaliland Parliamentary Elections: Peace and Democracy". Europe Elects. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "Barnaamijka Xisbiga". Xisbiga Waddani (in Somali). 2017. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "A Vote for Change: Somaliland's Two Decades Old Electoral Democracy" (PDF). Academy for Peace and Development. May 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  7. ↑ Omar S Mahmood; Mohamed Farah (October 2017). "High stakes for Somaliland's presidential elections" (PDF). Institute for Security Studies. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  8. ↑ Somaliland: “Presidential and Parliament Elections Slated for March 2017 Archived 21 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine Somaliland Sun, 10 September 2015
  9. ↑ "Somalia: Presidential election postponed in Somaliland". Garowe Online. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  10. ↑ Maruf, Harun (13 November 2017). "Voting Begins in Somaliland in Third Presidential Election Since 2003". VOA.
  11. ↑ "Somaliland holds first parliamentary vote since 2005". Reuters. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "Somaliland opposition win majority in first parliamentary vote since 2005". Reuters. 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  13. ↑ "Somaliland Opposition Joins Forces to Grab Control of Parliament". Agence France-Presse. Voice of America. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
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