Over 1 million registered voters cast their ballots at around 2,000 polling stations, and the Somaliland National Electoral Commission (NEC) began vote counting soon after. Results are expected by November 21, according to NEC Chairman Muse Hassan Yusuf, who reported that minor technical issues at some polling centers were successfully resolved. The election saw incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi, from the Kulmiye party, seeking a second term against two rivals: Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi of Waddani and Faisal Ali Warabe of UCID. The election is Somaliland’s fourth since declaring independence in 1991, a status yet to be internationally recognized. Amidst the vote, tensions linger with Somalia over Ethiopia’s controversial deal with Somaliland for coastal access, which Somalia views as a violation of sovereignty.
SOURCE: VOA NEWS
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