(Ventures) - The tiny eastern African country of Somaliland will head to the poll to elect a president in March 2017 for only the third time in the history.
In a trend that has permeated the electoral sphere of Africa in 2016, incumbent Somaliland president, Ahmed Mohammed Silenyo, who became president in 2010, has announced he would be stepping down at the end of his term in 2017. His announcement has now opened the floor for Musa Behl, who has been chosen as the presidential candidate of the ruling party, Peace, Unity and Development, to slug it out with Jamal Al Hussein of the Justice and Development party and Abdirahman Irro of WADANI party.
In a Facebook poll earlier in the year, Musa Behl of the Peace, Unity, and Development party led with 37 percent of votes, with 15 percent of voters registering their fears that elections might not hold come next year. Parliamentary election was first scheduled to hold in September 2010, but has since been postponed twice due to unpreparedness of the National Electoral commission.
Somaliland, a country of about 4 million people, broke away from Somalia in 1991 after the Siad Barre regime led a crackdown on the Somali National movement group in 1988. The group declared an independent Somaliland in 1991, and the country has since been governed by democratically elected governments.
- Ventures
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In a trend that has permeated the electoral sphere of Africa in 2016, incumbent Somaliland president, Ahmed Mohammed Silenyo, who became president in 2010, has announced he would be stepping down at the end of his term in 2017. His announcement has now opened the floor for Musa Behl, who has been chosen as the presidential candidate of the ruling party, Peace, Unity and Development, to slug it out with Jamal Al Hussein of the Justice and Development party and Abdirahman Irro of WADANI party.
In a Facebook poll earlier in the year, Musa Behl of the Peace, Unity, and Development party led with 37 percent of votes, with 15 percent of voters registering their fears that elections might not hold come next year. Parliamentary election was first scheduled to hold in September 2010, but has since been postponed twice due to unpreparedness of the National Electoral commission.
Somaliland, a country of about 4 million people, broke away from Somalia in 1991 after the Siad Barre regime led a crackdown on the Somali National movement group in 1988. The group declared an independent Somaliland in 1991, and the country has since been governed by democratically elected governments.
- Ventures
Follow @Medeshi
