MOGADISHU, 30 September 2005 — Voters in Somalia’s northwestern breakaway region of Somaliland head to the polls Today.
The upcoming legislative elections highlight the region’s 14-year struggle to be recognized internationally as an independent republic.
As polling stations opened, queues formed in the capital, Hargeisa. With early voting was going smoothly. Somaliland’s President, Dahir Riyale Kahin, told newsmen that he hoped the poll will compel the international community to accept his country’s rights to join the world community.
A total of 246 candidates, including seven women, are contesting the 82 seats in the lower house. Candidates must demonstrate adherence to Islam, be at least 35 years old and in good health. They must be high school graduates with no criminal record.
In order to prevent double voting, the National Electoral Commission has banned movement of people, with the exception of emergency services, observers, election officials and journalists. The current transitional Somali government, formed last year in Kenya following peace talks, itself refuses to recognize Somaliland as an independent nation. Government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari told Arab News by telephone from his office in Jowhar, 90 km from north of Mogadishu, that his government recognized that Somaliland was peaceful and provided a good model for the rest of the country.
But, he said, “Somaliland is part of Somalia. We are same culture, we are same religion, we have same heritage — there is only one difference, which is that Somaliland is northwestern region of Somalia. So there is no difference between those two people.”
Somaliland broke away from the rest of Somalia in 1991 when President Mohammed Siad Barre was ousted. Since then, it has established a reputation for peace and stability — in contrast to the rest of Somalia. But last week, seven people were arrested in Somaliland, accused of being Al-Qaeda members intending to destabilize the election.
