SLSUN: Since Somaliland unilaterally declared independence in May 1991, the unrecognized state has established a democratic track record which only a few countries in the developing world can match. On November 13, 2024, Somalilanders cast their votes at two thousand polling stations across the country. Wadani, the largest opposition party led by Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Cirro), secured a clear victory with 63.92 percent of the vote, while the incumbent president received 34.81 percent. Shortly after Somaliland’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) called the election for Cirro, President Muse Bihi Abdi magnanimously conceded defeat, calling for national unity and expressing his willingness to ensure a smooth transition of power. On December 12, 2024, the outgoing and incoming presidents symbolically arrived together, laughing, at Cirro’s inauguration, marking yet another smooth and peaceful transfer of power following a democratic election in Somaliland. Since 1991, Somaliland has held four multi-party general elections, all of which have been described as free and fair by international observers. Most recently, international observers described the latest elections as “free, fair, and credible, despite the constraints of Somaliland’s financial and institutional resources”. Why is it then, that democracy works in Somaliland but remains internationally Unrecognised wonders Jamal Abdi.in his opinion piece titled Is Somaliland Defying the Odds, or Are the Odds Based on a Flawed Premise?
