By Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – The entire citizenry is in the grip of a post election vote count speculation with supporters of Wadani and Kulmiye parties claiming victory.
This follows the successful conclusion of presidential elections on Somaliland held on the 13th November in which the national election commission-NEC is to release results of the votes garnered by the three political parties of UCID, Kulmiye and Wadani from the over 700,000 prospective voters.
While three candidates participated namely Eng Feisal Ali Warabe of UCID, Muse Behi Abdi of Kulmiye and Abdirahman Irro of Wadani it is obvious that it was a two horse race involving the later two candidates one of whom is assured the presidency come 16th November when results are released.
Though voting ended at exactly 6pm on the 13th the entire country is still experiencing a deep silence that initially started last Saturday when all campaigning came to an end and culminating to the prevalent deafening silence that ensued on Election Day following the shuttering of all social medias and banning of vehicle movement.
Read: Somaliland votes in Presidential elections
While vehicles are back in the streets the use of Facebook, twitter, IMO, Whattsap, viber and Google + among others mainly used in the country remain blocked by internet providers following agreement with NEC.
Initially termed as a denial of free access to information the social media shuttering that will be in fraction until presidential election results are declared seems to have been a very successfully anti-fake news mechanism owing to the speculations of rumored winners.
In Hargeisa the capital of Somaliland observation reveal that the supporters of Kulmiye and Wadani are in their own styles celebrating the party’s win courtesy of this and that source.
This jubilation in the east of the capital for Wadani and the west for Kulmiye saw NEC h of a press conference this afternoon in which citizens were told to shy away from the false reports of results since vote citizens uniting is still going on.
Despite the jovial speculations the country is calm with no violence reported anywhere in the six regions where not only was voting undertaken peacefully but post election conjecture done similarly, this positivity has a lot to do with the show of unity displayed by the candidates who not only strolled the streets of Hargeisa holding hands a day to elections but through media messages to their supporters for calm and tolerance.
Security wise the situation was and remains under close scrutiny by the police supplemented by army contingents who are only in standby mode thence not actively deployed.
We will work with every candidate that wins. Somaliland forces are in every area, at the borders and at all polling stations across the country to secure and make sure the election is peaceful,” said Somaliland Chief of Army Nuh Ismail Tani a day prior to elections.
Read: Security Tight as Somalilanders vote to elect new president
Though unrecognised by the international community, 26 years after withdrawing from its Union with Somalia the country benefits from a strong social contract between government and citizens. And this is why Somaliland is east Africa’s strongest democracy
