List of political parties in Somalia
Encyclopedia
Overview
During the civilian administration that existed prior to the seizure of power by the Supreme Revolutionary CouncilSupreme Revolutionary Council (Somalia)
The Supreme Revolutionary Council was the governmental body that ruled Somalia for most of the period from 1969-1991.-History:On October 15, 1969, while paying a visit to the northern town of Las Anod, Somalia's then President Abdirashid Ali Shermarke was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards...
(SRC) in 1969, there were a number of local political parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. Most notable of these early institutions was the Somali Youth League
Somali Youth League
The Somali Youth League was the first political party in Somalia. It played a key role in the nation's road to independence during the 1950s and 1960s.-History:...
, the nation's first political organization. Upon assuming office, the Siad Barre
Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre was the military dictator and President of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 1991. During his rule, he styled himself as Jaalle Siyaad ....
-led SRC outlawed all extant political parties and advocated a form of scientific socialism
Scientific Socialism
Scientific socialism is the term used by Friedrich Engels to describe the social-political-economic theory first pioneered by Karl Marx. The purported reason why this socialism is "scientific socialism" is because its theories are held to an empirical standard, observations are essential to its...
inspired by Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Following the outbreak of the civil war
Somali Civil War
The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...
in 1991 that saw the ouster of the Barre regime, many of the few remaining political parties gave way to autonomous or semi-autonomous regional states, or fragmented into feuding militia groups. After several unsuccessful national reconciliation efforts, a Transitional Federal Government
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
(TFG) was formed in 2004 with a five-year mandate leading toward the establishment of a new constitution and a transition to a representative government. With the TFG's extended mandate set to expire in 2012 and national elections scheduled to follow suit, existing political parties will once again have the opportunity to hold office and new political parties are expected to form.
Parties
- Somali Youth LeagueSomali Youth LeagueThe Somali Youth League was the first political party in Somalia. It played a key role in the nation's road to independence during the 1950s and 1960s.-History:...
- Somalia's first and most influential political party. Led the nation to independence, and produced many Presidents, Prime Ministers, and other high-ranking government officials. Governed the nation until a bloodless coup d'état in 1969 led by Siad BarreSiad BarreMohamed Siad Barre was the military dictator and President of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 1991. During his rule, he styled himself as Jaalle Siyaad ....
. - Marehan Union Party - political party that took part in the 1956 elections in Somalia.
- United Somali ParliamentariansUnited Somali ParliamentariansThe United Somali Parliamentarians are a political party in Somalia founded on 25 October 2007 to support embattled Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi...
- Major party which supported the former Prime Minister. - Green Leaf for Democracy (GLED) - organization with a focus on youth empowerment, employment and advocacy.
- Somalia Green PartySomalia Green PartyThe Somalia Green Party is the local Green Party of the East African state of Somalia. It is a member of the Federation of Green Parties of Africa...
- Member of the Federation of Green Parties of Africa. - Liberal Party of Somalia (Xisbiga horumarinta iyo dib u Habeynta Somaliyeed)
- Peace, Unity, and Development PartyPeace, Unity, and Development PartyThe Peace, Unity and Development Party is the ruling political party in Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia.-Overview:...
(Kulmiye Nabad, Midnimo iyo horumar, also known as Solidarity / The Gathering / Union and Development) - Political party in the Somaliland region. The party chairman is Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud SilanyoAhmed M. Mahamoud SilanyoAhmed Mahamoud Silanyo is a Somali politician. He is the current President of Somaliland, a self-proclaimed republic internationally recognized as an autonomous region in Somalia...
, who is the current President of Somaliland. - For Justice and DevelopmentFor Justice and DevelopmentFor Justice and Development is a political party in the Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia.-Overview:...
(Ururka Caddaalada iyo Daryeelka, also known as the Justice and Welfare Party) - Political party in the Somaliland region. The party chairman is Faysal Ali WarabeFaysal Ali WarabeFaisal Ali Warabe is the chairman of the Justice and Welfare Party of Somaliland .He was born in 1948 in Hargeisa, Somaliland. He earned an MSc in Engineering at St. Petersburg , Russia in 1973. From 1997-2001, he enrolled at the Helsinki University Faculty of Social Sciences, in the Social... - United Peoples' Democratic PartyUnited Peoples' Democratic PartyThe United Peoples' Democratic Party is one of the three political parties in the northwestern Somaliland region of Somalia. It is currently the opposition.-Overview:...
(Ururka dimuqraadiga ummadda bahawday, also known as Allied People's Democratic Party / United Democratic People's Party / National Alliance Democratic Party / Pillar) - Political party in the Somaliland region. The party chairman is Dahir Riyale KahinDahir Riyale KahinDahir Rayale Kahin was the third President of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as a part of Somalia. He became the third president of Somaliland on May 3, 2002, after the death of Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal...
, who is a former President of Somaliland. - Democratic Party of Somalia (2010) - new political party formed in 2010 by Maslah Mohamed Siad, son of former President of Somalia, Siad Barre.
- Democratic Green Party of Somalia (DGPS) - New political party created and led by Abdullahi Y. Mahamoud, with an emphasis on environmental protection and preservation. Member of the African Green Federation and Global Greens.
- Peace and Development Party (PDP) - New political party launched on 17 April, 2011, after lengthy consultation meetings. It is led by Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, and has established youth and women wings.