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315 electors 158 votes needed to win | ||||||||||||||||
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Somalilandportal |
Presidential elections were held in Somaliland on 23 February 1997, the third indirect presidential election since the country declared its independence from Somalia in 1991. The elections took place towards the end of the Hargeisa Conference, held between October 1996 and February 1997. [1] The election resulted in incumbent President Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal being reelected to a four-year term by an electoral college of elders who made up the national guurti(council of elders). [2] Egal's closest competitor was Minister of Finance Suleiman Mohamoud Adan, who was also formerly in the cabinet of inaugural President Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur. [3]
Shortly after declaring its independence from Somalia in mid-1991, SNM Chairman Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur was elected Somaliland’s first provisional president by clan elders. [4] He held the position until 16 May 1993, when clan elders elected Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal to serve a two-year term as president of the country's first post-war civilian government. In May 1995, Egal’s term was extended for another 18 months. New elections were held on 23 February 1997. [5]
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
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Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal | Independent | 223 | 70.79 | |
Suleiman Mohamoud Adan | Independent | 90 | 28.57 | |
Mohamed Hashi | Independent | 2 | 0.63 | |
Total | 315 | 100.00 | ||
Source: African Elections |
President Egal remained in office until his death in May 2002. He was succeeded in office by his Vice President, Dahir Riyale Kahin, who would go on to win the first direct presidential elections in 2003.
The president of Somaliland is the head of state and head of government of Somaliland. The president is also commander-in-chief of the Somaliland Armed Forces. The president represents the Government of Somaliland.
Dahir Riyale Kahin is a Somali politician who was President of Somaliland from 2002 to 2010. He previously served as a senior officer in the National Security Service in Somalia, and he was Vice President of Somaliland from 1997 to 2002
Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal was a Somali politician who served as the president of Somaliland from 1993 to his death in 2002. He previously served as the prime minister of the State of Somaliland between 26 June and 1 July 1960 and as the first prime minister of the Somali Republic for eleven days in 1960 and again from 1967 to 1969.
The Habar Yoonis alternatively spelled as Habr Yunis is a major clan part of the wider Isaaq clan. As descendants of Ismail bin Sheikh Isaaq, its members form a part of the wider Habar Magaadle confederation which constitutes the largest sub-clan of the Isaaq.
The Isaaq is a major Somali clan. It is one of the largest Somali clan families in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory.
The Kulmiye Peace, Unity and Development Party, also known as simply Kulmiye, is a political party in Somaliland. The party was founded by Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud "Silanyo" in May 2002, ahead of the first municipal elections later that year. The party is mainly supported by people from the Habr Je'lo, Habr Awal and Darod clans.
The Habr Garhajis also contemporarily known as the Garhajis is a major clan of the wider Isaaq clan family. They are the traditional holders of the Isaaq Sultanate and Habr Yunis Sultanate since the 18th century. As descendants of Ismail bin Sheikh Isaaq, its members form a part of the Habar Magaadle confederation, and they constitute one of the largest sub-clans of the Isaaq. The Garhajis are divided into two major sub-clans: the Habr Yunis and Eidagale. They are traditionally nomadic pastoralists, merchants and skilled poets.
Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud, known by his nickname Silanyo, was a Somali politician who served as the President of Somaliland from 2010 to 2017. He was a long-time member of the government in Mogadishu, having served as Minister of Commerce of Somalia in the 1960s, and among other Cabinet positions. During the 1980s, he also served as the Chairman of the Somali National Movement.
The House of Elders, also known as the Guurti, is the upper house of the Parliament of Somaliland. It has 82 members, representing traditional leaders. The House of Elders is mandated with considering bills proposed by the lower house of the parliament, the Somaliland House of Representatives.
The Somali Youth League, initially known as the Somali Youth Club (SYC), was the first political party in Somalia.
The following outline is provided as an overview and topical guide to Somaliland:
Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur was a Somali politician who served as the first President of Somaliland from 1991 to 1993. Tuur previously served as the Chairman of the Somali National Movement from 1990 to 1991. He also served as the Vice President of Somaliland from 1993 to 1995.
Musa Bihi Abdi is a Somali politician and former military officer who has been President of Somaliland since December 2017.
Ahmed Mohamed Adan was the foreign minister of Somalia from 1990 until 1991. He was Somalia's Ambassador to the United States, Soviet Union, Britain, and the United Nations. He was the speaker of House of Representatives of Somaliland from 1997 to 2005.
The Isamusa (Somali: Ciisemuuse, Arabic: عيسى موسى, is a prominent Somali clan which is part of the Isaaq family clan. The Isamusa traditionally consists of coastal people, nomadic pastoralist and merchants. This clan are primarily settled in Somaliland, including Maroodi Jeex, Togdheer, Sahil, Awdal, Djibouti, Yemen, as well as Kenya. Isamusa populations are present in southern Somalia such as Mogadishu.
Suleiman Mohamoud Adan, also known as Saleebaan Gaal is a Somaliland politician and the current speaker of Somaliland House of Elders. Previously, he served as the Minister of Interior in Somaliland's first government under President Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur. He belongs to the Mohamed Abokor subclan of the Habr Je'lo Isaaq.
The Somaliland Peace Process refers to the series of grassroot initiatives that brought peace to Somaliland after the collapse of central government of Somalia. In conjunction with the Somali National Movement, communities in Somaliland negotiated a series of truces to end hostilities and address the grievances between the communities who were often on opposing sides to the Barre regime.
The Somaliland Declaration of Independence was made on 18 May 1991 by Somali sultans from the Isaaq, Dhulbahante, Issa, Gadabursi, Warsangali clans, as well as the Somali National Movement.
The Government of the Republic of Somaliland (JSL) is the central government of Somaliland. The Government of Somaliland consists of legislative, executive, and judicial branches, each of which functions independently from the others. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Somaliland, adopted in 2001. It is a unitary state. The seat of the government is located in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.