Waddani Explained

Somaliland National Party
Native Name:Xisbiga Waddani
Native Name Lang:so
Flag:Waddani Party Flag.svg
Colorcode:
  1. fe9000
Leader:Hersi Ali Haji Hassan[1] [2]
Ideology:Somalilander nationalism
Islamic democracy
Populism
Headquarters:Hargeisa
Country:Somaliland
Founder:Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi
Founded:2012
Split:UCID
Position:Syncretic
State:Somaliland
Seats1 Title:House of Representatives
Seats2 Title:Local councillors

The Somaliland National Party (Somali: Xisbiga Waddani|lit=Patriotic Party), sometimes referred to as the Waddani National Party and better known by its shortened Somali form Waddani, is a political party in Somaliland. The party was founded by Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) in 2012, ahead of the second municipal elections later that year.[3] On 16 November 2021 Hersi Ali Haji Hassan was elected as the new chairman of the opposition party.[4] [5]

Economically the party leans left, defending the establishment of a universal healthcare system, public investment and doubling resources in education. It is progressive on issues regarding minority rights and fundamental freedoms, such as proposing a quorum of 30% of women in parliament. The party also supports greater decentralisation. Additionally, the party places great importance on Islamic moral and cultural heritage, and intends to give it a more important place in the education system and in the establishment of laws. The party's economic and diplomatic policy is also more nationalist than that of its rivals, and this nationalism also applies to issues of defense, with the party promising to increase funding dedicated to the army.[6] [7]

The constitution of Somaliland only allows for the top three political parties to contest elections, to avoid the previous proliferation of clan-based parties in the 1960s.[8] Waddani became one of the three in 2012, replacing the United Peoples' Democratic Party (UDUB).[9]

2017 Somaliland presidential election

See main article: article and 2017 Somaliland presidential election. Presidential elections were held on 13 November 2017, the third direct presidential election since 2003. General elections had been scheduled to be held on 27 March 2017 to elect both the President and House of Representatives,[10] but were postponed by six months due to the drought condition in the region.[11] The elections to elect the President and Vice President were eventually held separately on 13 November.[12] Incumbent President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud of the Peace, Unity, and Development Party (Kulmiye) did not run for a second term.

The result was a victory for ruling Kulmiye party candidate Muse Bihi Abdi, who received 55% of the vote.

CandidatePartyVotes%
bgcolor=#FFF500 Muse Bihi AbdiPeace, Unity, and Development Party305,90955.10
Abdirahman Mohamed AbdullahiWaddani226,09240.73
Faisal Ali WarabeFor Justice and Development23,1414.17
align=left colspan=3Invalid/blank votes10,475
align=left colspan=3Total565,617100
align=left colspan=3Registered voters/turnout704,19880.32
align=left colspan=5Source: SLNEC

2021 Somaliland parliamentary election

See main article: article and 2021 Somaliland parliamentary election.

Parliamentary elections were held in Somaliland on 31 May 2021, the first since 2005.[13] On 6 June it was announced that Waddani had received 31 out of 82 seats and it will form a coalition with the Justice and Welfare Party (UCID).[14] The coalition will have 52 seats combined, compared to previous ruling party Kulmiye which has only 30.[15]

Electoral history

Local elections

ElectionVotes%Seats+/–Position
2012244,79530.19% 68 2nd
2021260,84137.83% 11 2nd

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2021-11-16. Waa kuma Xirsi, Guddoomiyaha cusub ee xisbiga Waddani?. 2021-11-16. BBC News Somali. so.
  2. Web site: 2021-11-15. Somaliland: Waddani Opposition Party Holds 2nd General Convention. 2021-11-16. MENAFN. en.
  3. Web site: 1 August 2017. About Waddani. 20 June 2020. Xisbiga Waddani. en.
  4. Web site: 2021-11-16. Waa kuma Xirsi, Guddoomiyaha cusub ee xisbiga Waddani?. 2021-11-16. BBC News Somali. so.
  5. Web site: 2021-11-15. Somaliland: Waddani Opposition Party Holds 2nd General Convention. 2021-11-16. MENAFN. en.
  6. Web site: Stebach. Adèle. 31 May 2021. Somaliland Parliamentary Elections: Peace and Democracy. 1 June 2021. Europe Elects. en-GB.
  7. Web site: Barnaamijka Xisbiga . Xisbiga Waddani . 1 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200623051138/https://waddani-party.org/barnaamijka-xisbiga/ . 23 June 2020 . so . 2017.
  8. Web site: A Vote for Change: Somaliland's Two Decades Old Electoral Democracy. May 2021. 8 June 2021. Academy for Peace and Development.
  9. Web site: High stakes for Somaliland's presidential elections. Institute for Security Studies. October 2017. Omar S Mahmood. Mohamed Farah. 7 June 2021.
  10. http://www.somalilandsun.com/index.php/politics/8019-somaliland-presidential-and-parliament-elections-slated-for-march-2017- Somaliland: "Presidential and Parliament Elections Slated for March 2017
  11. News: Somalia: Presidential election postponed in Somaliland . Garowe Online . 17 January 2017 . 22 February 2017.
  12. News: Maruf. Harun. Voting Begins in Somaliland in Third Presidential Election Since 2003. VOA. 13 November 2017. en.
  13. Web site: Somaliland holds first parliamentary vote since 2005 . 31 May 2021 . . 3 June 2021.
  14. Web site: Somaliland opposition win majority in first parliamentary vote since 2005 . 6 June 2021 . . 6 June 2021.
  15. Web site: 2021-06-10. Somaliland Opposition Joins Forces to Grab Control of Parliament. 2021-06-10. Agence France-Presse. Voice of America. en-US.