Somaliland opposition leader wins presidential poll

Somaliland’s opposition leader, Abdirahman Cirro, has won the region’s presidential election, the news outlet Garowe Online reported on Tuesday.

It reported the Electoral Commission as saying the leader of the opposition Waddani party won 64 per cent of the vote.

Incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi, who was seeking a second term, won 35 per cent in the polls which took place last week.

Both candidates promised to strengthen democracy, boost economic growth, and gain the international recognition Somaliland has sought for 33 years.

It was the region’s fourth presidential poll since it broke away from Somalia over three decades ago.

Somaliland has since sustained its own government, currency, and security structures despite lacking global recognition which has restricted its access to international finance.

The region has built a stable political environment in sharp contrast to Somalia’s security struggles.

Voting took place amid rising tension with Mogadishu over Somaliland’s deal granting landlocked Ethiopia access to the Indian Ocean in exchange for political recognition.