2002 Somaliland municipal elections
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15 December 2002
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 Somaliland portal |
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]
- United Peoples' Democratic Party (UDUB) led by President Dahir Riyale Kahin
- Peace, Unity, and Development Party (Kulmiye) headed by Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud
- For Justice and Development (UCID) led by Faysal Ali Warabe
- Sahan led by Dr Mohamed Abdi Gaboose
- Asad led by Suleiman Mohamoud Adan
- Hormood led by Umar Ghalib