Somaliland parliamentary election, 2005
Encyclopedia
Somaliland held elections
to an 82-member House of Representatives on 29 September 2005. It was the first multiparty parliamentary election conducted in the secession
ist Republic of Somaliland
since 1991, when the Somali Civil War
began.
There are a total of 246 candidates, including 5 women contesting the election.
system as reflected by the votes cast for each party in the region
, Finland
, Kenya
, South Africa
, the United Kingdom
, the United States
and Zimbabwe
monitored the polls. They described that the elections were conducted in a peaceful condition and were generally free and fair, nonetheless, the vote had fallen short of meeting several international standards.
Elections in Somaliland
Somaliland elects on national level a head of state and a legislature. The president is elected by the people for a five year term. The Parliament has two chambers. The House of Representatives will have 82 members, elected for a five year term...
to an 82-member House of Representatives on 29 September 2005. It was the first multiparty parliamentary election conducted in the secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
ist Republic of Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
since 1991, when the Somali 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...
began.
Political parties
The Somaliland Constitution limits the number of political parties to three, all of which will compete in the election. Various sources provide different translations of political party names. They are:- 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), The party chairman is Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud Silanyo 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). 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... - For Unity, Democracy, and Independence (Ururka dimuqraadiga ummadda bahawday, also known as Allied People's Democratic Party / United Democratic People's Party / National Alliance Democratic Party / Pillar). 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...
There are a total of 246 candidates, including 5 women contesting the election.
Electoral system
According to Somaliland's House of Representatives Election Law, every party that contests the election is required to submit a list of its candidates to the National Electoral Commission. The names of the candidates shall be set out in a sequential order, and shall relate to each region on the basis of the number of seats allocated to each region. The seats allocated to each electoral region shall be won by the parties on the basis of proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
system as reflected by the votes cast for each party in the region
| Seat allocation by region | |
| Region | Number of seats (82) |
| Awdal Awdal Awdal is a region in northwestern Somalia. Its capital is Borama.Awdal is bordered by Ethiopia, Djibouti, the Somali region of Woqooyi Galbeed, and the Gulf of Aden... |
13 |
| Wooqoyi Galbeed | 20 |
| Saaxil Saaxil Saaxil is a region in Somaliland, a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Somalia. Its capital is Berbera... |
10 |
| Togdheer Togdheer Togdheer is an administrative region in northwestern Somalia. It lies in the territory of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia.-Overview:... |
15 |
| Sanaag Sanaag Sanaag is an administrative region in northern Somalia. Its capital city is Erigavo.Sanaag has a long coastline facing the Gulf of Aden to the north, and is bordered by the Somali regions of Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sool and Bari.... |
12 |
| Sool Sool Sool is an administrative region in northern Somalia.-Overview:With its capital at Las Anod, Sool is historically known for being the seat of the anti-colonial Dervish movement.... |
12 |
Final results
A team of 76 observers from CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
monitored the polls. They described that the elections were conducted in a peaceful condition and were generally free and fair, nonetheless, the vote had fallen short of meeting several international standards.