2017 Somaliland presidential election

Parliamentary elections were due originally to be held in Somaliland in September 2010,[6] and were eventually scheduled for 26 June 2015 alongside the presidential elections,[7] but due to the unpreparedness of the National elections Committee the Guurti extended the incumbent's term for a period of 21 months in early September 2015.[8]

In November 2015 Kulmiye party chairman Muse Bihi Abdi was selected as the presidential candidate for the ruling Peace, Unity, and Development Party. Former long-time House Speaker Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, also known as Irro, was chosen as the candidate for the Waddani Party.

The candidate for the Justice and Development was Faysal Ali Warabe, who had unsuccessfully contested the two previous presidential elections. Warabe became the party's candidate after a long legal and political challenge between Warabe and the party's original presidential candidate Jamal Ali Hussein; Hussein later joined Kulmiye.[9] Warabe's running mate was Abdi Ahmed Musa Abyan.[10]

Sixty international observers from over 27 countries were deployed across Somaliland to observe the elections.[11] Seventeen of the 21 districts in Somaliland were visited by observers, with 335 of the 1,624 polling stations attended.[11] The report by the Development Planning Unit of University College London concluded that "Throughout the election period, Somalilanders demonstrated their support for the rule of law and constitutional process, voting peacefully and in significant numbers and the mission applauds this ongoing commitment to peaceful participation in an impressively open electoral system."[11]

On 21 November the NEC announced that Muse Bihi Abdi of the ruling Kulmiye party polled 55.1% of votes to emerge winner. His closest contender was Abdirahman Irro of the Waddani party who polled 40.7% with Faysal Ali Warabe finishing last with 4.2% of votes.[12]

Abdi was inaugurated as president on 13 December 2017 in Hargeisa.