Inheriting Power: Somaliland’s Political Institutions and the 2017 Presidential Election

Abstract

This briefing sheds light on Somaliland's political institutions, election dynamics and candidates who contested the state leadership in the 2017 presidential election. It argues that in spite of recurrent postponing of parliamentary elections, the 2017 presidential election has shown that Somaliland's democratic process and legitimacy of its political institutions have remained relatively strong in the otherwise politically unstable neighbourhood.