Somaliland election result
2005-10-15 13:34
Hargeisa - The ruling party in Somalia's breakaway republic of Somaliland has come first in last month's legislative elections, the enclave's electoral commission announced on Saturday after a delay in issuing the results.
The ruling Union of Democrats (UDUB) won 33 of the 82 seats in parliament while opposition Kulmiye (Solidarity) and UCID (Justice and Welfare) took 28 and 21 seats respectively, Somaliland's National Electoral Commission (NEC) said.
"This is the best, impartial and honest result that we can offer and we urge people not speculate on the issue," NEC deputy chairman Ahmed Ali Adami said.
He said the results were announced after "thoroughly checking all reasonable doubts and complaints raised by parties or individual candidates."
The panel had postponed Thursday's planned release of results citing "serious complaints" about the process amid high tensions over the possible outcome in the capital of Hargeisa.
Large numbers of security forces had been deployed throughout the city ahead of the announcement of results from the September 29 polls and Somaliland police chief Ahmed Eghe Elmi called for calm.
"These results are for the public and we shall respect the conclusion of the peaceful election," he said.
Foreign observers said they were satisfied with the conduct of the election, which they was peaceful with only minor logistical problems although the opposition had accused the UDUB of irregularities, including using public funds for the campaign.
The vote, the enclave's third multi-party election, was held amid high hopes it would herald long-denied international recognition for Somaliland which seceded from Somalia proper in 1991 after the ouster of strongman Mohamed Siad Barre.
While much of the rest of the country, which has been without a functioning central government for 14 years, disintegrated into anarchic violence, Somaliland has remained relatively peaceful with a homegrown administration in charge.