Somalia: Somaliland's New President Has Work to Do

analysis

With the inauguration of Muse Bihi Abdi on 13 December 2017, Somaliland's oft-delayed presidential election process officially ended. The Kulmiye party retained power, but the president changed for the third time in 14 years - impressive for an unrecognised nation, all the more so considering the neighbourhood it's in.

Besides the change in power, the electoral process itself was conducted in a credible manner. Somaliland's National Electoral Commission (NEC) was lauded by all three political parties for undertaking a successful voter registration process, including using an iris-scanner system, a first for Africa. The campaign period even included a presidential debate, another first for Somaliland, while media coverage was generally considered fairer than in previous contests.

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