HARGEISA, Somalia — Voters in Somaliland queued for hours and thronged polling stations Saturday for the second presidential election held in the self-declared republic in the northwest, in a peaceful exercise in governance not seen for decades in the country’s anarchic south.
Voters and candidates said they hope this vote will award Somaliland the international recognition it seeks. The three men vying to become president of the region have all promised to seek international recognition for the autonomous region.
“The election is very crucial for the future of Somaliland,” said President Dahir Riyale Kahin as he voted Saturday morning. “It’s a bridge to a long-awaited international recognition.”
Saturday’s election also coincided with the 50-year anniversary of independence for Somaliland, a former British protectorate. The province was independent for only five days before joining Somalia on July 1, 1960.
Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991 and has been a haven of relative peace in northwest Somalia as southern Somalia has fallen into chaos and anarchy. The region has its own security and police forces, justice system and currency, but is not recognized by anyother state.
All three candidates - Kahin, Ahmed Mohamud Silanyo and Feysal Ali Warabe - have also promised to maintain the region’s security andeconomic development.
Warabe said that while he believes his party deserves to win, he will accept the results given by the national election board.
“I am now ready to endorse if any one of us wins by one vote,” he said.
Residents also said they hope the vote will win more respect for the region and maintain the peace that has eluded southern Somalia since the 1991 ouster by warlords of longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
Business student Sarah Jama said she was concerned about unemployment levels but that she based her vote on a desire for peace.
“Inasmuch as we need change, we must maintain the peace we enjoy,” she said. “We are very scared of what has happened in countries around us, like southern Somalia.”
Omar Ali, 32, an electrician and father of seven, traveled from Libya to vote for the first time.
“I think the election is very beautiful, and I support the Somaliland elections so that they can be peaceful and fair,” he said.
He added, “I believe at the rate things are going in Somaliland, the future will be bright for my children, where they will be more interested in their country and not go abroad.”
Officials said polls wereorderly Saturday, but that the masses of voters kept polls open about 15 minutes after closing time. Results are expected in a week.
The vote was closely watched by dozens of international observers.
One observer, Steve Kibble of the British organization Progressio, said the campaign “has generally been peaceful and good-natured.”
The candidates agreed to hold campaign rallies on different days to avoid bouts of violence among supporters.More than 1.6 million people have registered to vote at more than 1,000 polling sites.
Kahin, leader of the Democratic United National party, or Udub, was elected president in 2003 with 42.08 percent of ballots cast in an election won by 80 votes.
Somaliland’s second presidential election has been frequently delayed. It was first scheduled for 2008, and then for 2009.
Information for this article was contributed by Samson Haileyesus of The Associated Press.
Front Section, Pages 11 on 06/27/2010