Somaliland Incumbent President Wins Elections: Electoral Commission

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, April 20, 2003

Somaliland Incumbent President Wins Elections: Electoral Commission

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The electoral commission of Somaliland announced Saturday that the ruling Udub party led by incumbent President Dahir Riyaleh Kahin has won the presidential elections held on April 14 in the breakaway republic.

Kahin got 205,595 votes, a slight majority against the opponent Kulmiye party, led by Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud Silanyo, which obtained 205,515 votes. The third party, U' id, got 77,433 votes.

And in percent wise, the victor, the Udub party, got 42,08%, while Kulmiye has got 42.07%, the electoral commission announced.

This means Kahin may remain in office in the next five years, while his deputy chairman in his party, Ahmed Yusuf Yasin, may become vice president.

Faysal Ali Warabeh, leader of U'id, told a press conference that he will collaborate with the new president, Kahin, and his administration, but it is not known yet whether Silanyo, leader ofKulmiye, will accept the results.

The electoral commission said the results are preliminary and the official results will be announced by the supreme constitutional court in 10 days.

"Usually, there comes no difference between the electoral commission and the court, but this is just a judicial procedure," said Ahmed Haji Ali Adami, chairman of the electoral commission.

Before the announcement was made Saturday morning, supporters of the Kulmiye party had celebrated in the streets of Hargeysa claiming that they had won the elections.

But, shortly after midday, supporters of the incumbent party, Udub, likewise celebrated in the streets of Hargeisa, also claiming the victory.

In the meantime, six officials, two from each of the three contending parties, and the electoral commission had been in a closed doors meeting for what looked like negotiations.

Even though it was not announced what the problems were, it is understood that the Kulmiye party was not happy about the outcome of the elections, local sources said.

all three parties have promised their people that an international recognition for Somaliland would be what they would deliver above anything else.

Somaliland has claimed its independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991, but has not obtained an international recognition.

The east of Sanag and most of Sol regions and Buhodleh districthave not had the elections owing to the territorial dispute between the two autonomous administrations of Somaliland and Puntland.

Silanyo has got most of his supporters from Togdher region, while Kahin has his biggest support from Awdal region. Riyaleh wasvery well supported by the clansmen of late president Mohamed Hajji Ibrahim Egal.

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