President of Somaliland
| President of the Republic of Somaliland | |
|---|---|
| Madaxweynaha Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliland (Somali) | |
Presidential seal | |
Flag of the president of Somaliland | |
since 12 December 2024 | |
| Style | His Excellency Mr. President |
| Type | |
| Member of | Cabinet of Somaliland |
| Residence | Presidential Palace |
| Seat | Hargeisa |
| Appointer | Direct election |
| Term length | 5 years, renewable once |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Somaliland |
| Formation | 28 May 1991 |
| First holder | Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur |
| Deputy | Vice President of Somaliland |
| Website | Official website |
The president of the Republic of Somaliland (Somali: Madaxweynaha Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliland; Arabic: رئيس جمهورية صوماليلاند, romanized: Rayiys jumhuriat Soomaliland) is the head of state and head of government of Somaliland. The president is also commander-in-chief of the Somaliland Armed Forces. The president represents the Government of Somaliland.
The first president of Somaliland was Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur. The current office-holder is the 6th president Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, who took office on 12 December 2024. The President can serve a maximum of two five-year terms.
The Republic of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the former British Somaliland Protectorate, which was an independent country for a few days in 1960 as the State of Somaliland.[1][2][3]
History
The first president of Somaliland was Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur, one of the leaders of the Somali National Movement (SNM), who took office on 7 June 1991, weeks after Somaliland was declared a republic. Since then the office has been held by four further people: Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal, Dahir Riyale Kahin, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud, and Muse Bihi Abdi.[4][5]
Eligibility
By Article 82 of the Constitution of Somaliland, a person shall be eligible for the office of President or Vice President if (a) he is a citizen of Somaliland by birth, and, notwithstanding residence as a refugee in another country, must not hold any other citizenship; (b) he must be a Muslim, and must behave in accordance with Islamic religion; (c) he must be at least 40 years of age; and (d) he fulfills other criteria set out in this Article.[6] [7]
List of presidents of Somaliland
Death in office
One Somaliland president has died in office:
- Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal, who died on 3 May 2002 aged 73.
Latest election
| Candidate | Running mate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro | Mohamed Ali Abdi | Waddani | 407,908 | 63.95 | |
| Muse Bihi Abdi | Mohamoud Hassan Saajin | Peace, Unity, and Development Party | 225,219 | 35.31 | |
| Faysal Ali Warabe | Abdirashid Duale Diriye | For Justice and Development | 4,699 | 0.74 | |
| Total | 637,826 | 100.00 | |||
| Valid votes | 637,826 | 98.45 | |||
| Invalid/blank votes | 10,037 | 1.55 | |||
| Total votes | 647,863 | 100.00 | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 1,227,048 | 52.80 | |||
| Source: HO, Registered | |||||
See also
References
- ^ "Somaliland Marks Independence After 73 Years of British Rule" (fee required). The New York Times. 1960-06-26. p. 6. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
- ^ "How Britain said farewell to its Empire". BBC News. 23 July 2010.
- ^ 37. Somalia/Somaliland (1960–present).
- ^ AfricaNews (2017-12-13). "Somaliland hailed as it swears in new president". Africanews. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
- ^ "Abiy holds talks with President of Somaliland Administration". Nazret. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ name=Constitution>*The Constitution of the Republic of Somaliland and in Somaliland Official Gazette Archived 20 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Making the Somaliland constitution and its role in democratisation and peace". Conciliation Resources. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2020.