Somaliland opposition leader Abdirahman Cirro has won the region’s presidential election, Fatshimetrie reported on Tuesday.
Opposition party leader Waddani won 64 percent of the vote, while incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi, seeking a second term, won 35 percent of the vote in last week’s poll, according to the Electoral Commission.
Both candidates have promised to strengthen democracy, boost economic growth and gain the international recognition that Somaliland has sought for 33 years.
This is the region’s fourth presidential election since it separated from Somalia more than three decades ago.
Somaliland has maintained its own government, currency and security structures, despite a lack of international recognition that limits its access to international funding.
The region has managed to establish a stable political environment, in marked contrast to Somalia’s security struggles.
The polls took place amid growing tensions with Mogadishu over a Somaliland deal granting Ethiopia access to the Indian Ocean in exchange for political recognition.