HARGEISA, Somalia – People eagerly await the results of North Western State of Somalia’s recent election, characterized as a nail-biter by experts due to the fierce rivalry among parties. These outfits borrowed strategies from mature democracies to ensure future confrontations are more strategic and robust.
Striving to break away from Somalia, North Western State of Somalia hasn’t yet grabbed international acknowledgment but is doing its utmost to bolster its local governance systems, setting a benchmark for the entire Somalia, drawing a parallel with how Northeastern State manages its internal affairs.
An early review by the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) regarding the presidential polls in North Western State of Somalia highlighted the election day as largely tranquil and orderly, where registered voters could freely exercise their democratic right to cast ballots.
The observers reported no significant discrepancies or fraud, although they did notice some procedural quirks that could be rectified with enhanced training sessions for the polling staff.
With this in mind, the IEOM pointed out several areas for improvement for election officials. These include ensuring that vote privacy is preserved in subsequent elections and that the electoral roll is frequently updated to be current by the time of the elections.
Additionally, a need exists to better inform voters about the actual voting steps to reduce errors reported throughout the voting process. While they saw this as a promising start, further enhancements are anticipated.
Currently, Muse Bihi Abdi, standing as the region’s incumbent president, faces a daunting challenge from the Waddani party head Abdirahman Irro and UCID leader Faisal Warabe. In the 2021 legislative elections, the Kulmiye party secured 30 seats, while the opposition walked away with 52.
This region has turned into a hotbed of African geopolitics, having inked a deal with Ethiopia regarding maritime access, sparking a geopolitical whirlwind during which Somalia opted to strike a defense agreement with Egypt.
AXADLETM
