| Election Name: | 2002 Somaliland municipal election |
| Country: | Somaliland |
| Type: | municipal |
| Election Date: | 15 December 2002 |
| Nominee1: | |
| Running Mate1: | Ahmed Yusuf Yasin |
| Party1: | UDUB |
| Colour1: | 008000 |
| Popular Vote1: | 179,389 |
| Percentage1: | 40.76% |
| Colour2: | FFFF00 |
| Nominee2: | Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud |
| Party2: | Peace, Unity, and Development Party |
| Running Mate2: | Abdirahman Saylici |
| Popular Vote2: | 83,158 |
| Percentage2: | 18.90% |
| Nominee3: | Faysal Ali Warabe |
| Running Mate3: | Mohammad Rashid |
| Party3: | For Justice and Development |
| Colour3: | 355E3B |
| Popular Vote3: | 49,444 |
| Percentage3: | 11.24% |
| Party Name: | no |
| Party4: | Sahan |
| Colour4: | 355E3B |
| Popular Vote4: | 47,942 |
| Percentage4: | 10.89% |
| Party5: | Hormood |
| Colour5: | 355E3B |
| Popular Vote5: | 40,538 |
| Percentage5: | 9.21% |
| Party6: | Asad |
| Colour6: | 355E3B |
| Popular Vote6: | 39,596 |
| Percentage6: | 9.00% |
| Vote Type: | Popular |
Municipal elections were held across Somaliland on 15 December 2002. Six political associations fielded 2,368 candidates to contest 379 local council seats in nineteen of Somaliland's twenty-three electoral districts.[1] Prior to these elections, local government only consisted of a mayor and a councillor both appointed by the Ministry of Interior by the recommendation of the President. These elections would pave way for the establishment of popularly-elected local governments that were directly responsible to local constituencies.
The Constitution of Somaliland stipulated that only three political parties could exist at any one time. As a result, the three associations that gained the largest numbers of local council seats would become the official political parties and enjoyed exclusive legitimacy for the next ten years. A political organisation had to achieve 20% of the vote in at least four of Somaliland's six regions in order to become a national party and contest presidential and parliamentary elections.[2]
The contenders that took part in this process included: [3]
Over 440,000 people took part in the country's first municipal elections.[4] Results were announced a week later by the National Electoral Commission, with UDUB, Kulmiye and UCID finishing as the top three parties.
The elections were viewed largely as a success and was an essential step in the transition from a clan-based formed of governance to a democracy.[5]
Political associations that ranked fourth or lower ceased to exist. Although Sahan passed the threshold of receiving 20% of the votes in at least four regions and UCID did not, it was decided that UCID's higher national vote share qualified it to become the third party, a controversial decision.
Councillors from the associations that were dissolved were subsequently required to join one of the newly appointed national parties, UDUB, Kulmiye or UCID.