Somaliland polls: Somalia region chooses president on Wednesday

Residents of Somaliland, a break-away region of Somalia, will be going to their presidential and political party election on Wednesday this week to elect their president in a decisive vote which will give a pathway for the country to finally get international recognition as an independent state, 33 years later.

It has been touted as a two-horse race, pitting Kulimye Party candidate Muse Bihi against opposition leader Dr Abdulrahman Mohammed’s Wadani Party.

Feisal Ali Husein of the Uid Party is also on the ballot.

The self-declared independent country holds its fourth presidential election under universal suffrage on November 13.

The election will be a step closer to being internationally recognised as an independent state away from the mother country, Somalia, which they broke ranks with over three decades ago.

Just like in Kenya, the parties which have a striking colour similarity with Kenya’s top parties UDA and ODM have each had 21 days to try to sell their agenda, with President Bihi seeking to extend his term for another five years after serving seven.

The opposition candidate says enough is enough for the current administration.

International observers including a delegation from Kenya will be critical in overseeing the manner in which the nascent democracy performs in these polls, as the over 1.2 million voters cast their votes.

For Somaliland to be fully recognized as a state, it must have among other things, a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.