Elections mean big business

2005-09-27 13:12

Ali Musa Abdi

Hargeisa - Street vendors in Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland reported huge sales of the narcotic leaf khat and newspapers as campaigning wrapped up on Tuesday for legislative polls this week amid hopes for long-denied international recognition.

Amid a flurry of political activity - including a surprise government announcement of terrorism arrests last week and allegations of electoral fraud - shopowners in the capital of the self-styled republic say business is booming.

And, with Hargeisa awash in colourful campaign posters ahead of Thursday's elections, many are bemoaning the end of the month-long campaign and the profit windfall brought by politicians eager to win support from voters.

"This is the time to share wealth with politicians who ignore us if there are no elections," said businessman Ismail Hassan Mohammed with a giggle.

Stable

Although Somaliland - which takes its name from the former British protectorate, and unilaterally declared independence from the rest of anarchic Somalia in 1991 - is an island of relative stability in the lawless nation, it remains unrecognised by the outside world.

This, many Somalilanders believe, has kept away large-scale international aid and development projects and contributed to the region's crushing poverty.

But the campaign for Somaliland's third multi-party elections since political pluralism was introduced 2000 has brought with it a brief economic respite and rekindled hopes that the polls will encourage outside recognition.

"Since the campaign began, the khat business has been the driving engine of party activists," said Ahmed Yassin, a wholesaler importer of the leaves from neighbouring Ethiopia.

"Our trade has been marvellous," he told AFP, noting that khat, a stimulant, has been in huge demand from politicians wishing to win over potential supporters.

Election season has also brought with it an unquenchable thirst for information from Somaliland's estimated 3.5 million population that has newspaper vendors crowing over a boom in sales but wary of what will follow.

"I was selling about 50 newspapers a day, but now I am selling 150 a day." said teenage vendor Mohamed Abdulrahaman. "The election has been very good for my life.

The election pits the ruling Union of Democrats (UDUB) party against the opposition Hisbiga Kulmiye (Solidarity Party) and Justice and Welfare Party (UCID), who are united in their quest for recognition but differ widely on the means to achieve that.

- AFP