Breakaway Somaliland's ruling party won the most seats in its first multiparty parliamentary elections since it separated from Somalia more than a decade ago, according to provisional results released Saturday by election officials.The election is the latest step in Somaliland's efforts to set up democratic state structures and gain international recognition. The breakaway republic has already held a referendum over independence from the rest of Somalia as well as presidential and local polls. President Dahir Riyale Kahin's Udub party, or Pillar, won 33 seats, the opposition Kulmiye party got 28 seats, and U'id, or The Party for Justice and Welfare, won 21 seats, said National Electoral Commission Chairman Ahmed Haji Ali Adami. Somaliland's Constitutional Court will announce the final results within 20 days, after verifying the provisional numbers and investigating any complaints filed by candidates.
Spokesmen for the opposition parties said they were satisfied with the results of the Sept. 29 parliamentary polls. "We are happy, especially with how transparent the (election) process was," said Yusuf Mohamed Guled of Uid. "Unlike previous elections, this one was indisputable."
Kahin won the 2003 presidential elections, and his party won the 2002 single-party local polls. The majority of voters endorsed Somaliland's secession from the rest of Somalia in a 1999 referendum. The parties fielded 246 candidates in total to compete seats in the 82-member legislature. Somaliland has had a parliament since 1991, but until now lawmakers have been chosen by their clans through a process of consultation rather than voting.