By Somaliland, a self declared state in the Horn of Africa is looking forward to having the citizens cast their vote, choosing their next president that would lead the most peaceful country in the Horn of Africa..
The citizens are expected to be seen heading to the different polling stations as will be set by the electoral commission on November 13, 2017, and as for now, just days are remaining.
Muse Bihi Abdi of the ruling KULMIYE (Peace, Unity and Development Party), and former minister, the veteran politician Faisal Ali Warabe of UCID (Justice and Welfare Party), and then the former speaker of the House of Representatives Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro of WADDANI (National Party) – the strongest opposition party, are the three candidates that stood up for the presidential seat.
The next president that will be chosen from the three presidential aspirant candidates will replace the incumbent Ahmed Mohammed Silannyo, the forth president amongst the presidents that the still unrecognized state has had so far.
According to the sources and the citizens, Muse Bihi Abdi of the ruling party and Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi of Waddani, the main opposition party, are the main competitors of the race and it is from these two that the next president is likely to be chosen.
The candidates have already had their final run in the campaigns and so what is remaining is to have citizens vote for the best man of the three, on the 13.
Following the current state in Somaliland, peace and stability is still upheld. Many influential people in the country, including the President, have warned against any kind of peace disruption.
‘I shall not take it if anyone tries to disrupt the peace that we have maintained in the country since we got our independence,’ Ahmed Silannyo, the President once informed the state, ahead of the campaigns.
In preparations for the elections, the Education Ministry announced the closure of the schools and Universities on November 7 up until November 15, two days after the polls.
This so happened after a request from the National Electoral Commission (NEC), that explained that it will need to use most of the schools as polling stations.
Out of the about 4 million Somaliland population, 704, 089 registered voters are expected to elect the new president. There are 1,642 polling stations organized in the 21 constituencies across the six regions of the country.
Somaliland is an Islamic state that declared itself independent from Somalia on 18 May, 1991. The country has maintained stability for the 26 years since its independence, using its standing army, though still regarded as an autonomous region of Somalia.
Correspondent: Shamilah Namuddu