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Somalilandportal |
Municipal elections were held across Somaliland on 15 December 2002. Six political associations fielded 2,368 candidates to contest 379 local council seats in nineteen of Somaliland's twenty-three electoral districts. [1]
Prior to these elections, local government only consisted of a mayor and a councillor both appointed by the Ministry of Interior by the recommendation of the President. [1] These elections would pave way for the establishment of popularly-elected local governments that were directly responsible to local constituencies.[ citation needed ]
The Constitution of Somaliland stipulated that only three political parties could exist at any one time. [1] As a result, the three associations that gained the largest numbers of local council seats would become the official political parties and enjoyed exclusive legitimacy for the next ten years. [1] A political organisation had to achieve 20% of the vote in at least four of Somaliland's six regions in order to become a national party and contest presidential and parliamentary elections. [2]
The contenders that took part in this process included: [1] [3]
Over 440,000 people took part in the country's first municipal elections. [4] Results were announced a week later by the National Electoral Commission, with UDUB, Kulmiye and UCID finishing as the top three parties.
Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
United Peoples' Democratic Party | 179,389 | 40.76 | |
Kulmiye | 83,158 | 18.90 | |
UCID | 49,444 | 11.24 | |
Sahan | 47,942 | 10.89 | |
Hormood | 40,538 | 9.21 | |
ASAD | 39,596 | 9.00 | |
Total | 440,067 | 100.00 | |
Source: African Elections Database |
The elections were viewed largely as a success and was an essential step in the transition from a clan-based formed of governance to a democracy. [5]
Political associations that ranked fourth or lower ceased to exist. [5] Although Sahan passed the threshold of receiving 20% of the votes in at least four regions and UCID did not, it was decided that UCID's higher national vote share qualified it to become the third party, a controversial decision. [5] [2]
Councillors from the associations that were dissolved were subsequently required to join one of the newly appointed national parties, UDUB, Kulmiye or UCID. [5]
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