Somaliland National Party Xisbiga Waddani | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Hersi Ali Haji Hassan[1][2] |
| Founder | Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Split from | UCID |
| Headquarters | Hargeisa |
| Ideology | Somalilander nationalism Islamic democracy Populism |
| Political position | Syncretic |
| House of Representatives | 31 / 82 |
| Local councillors | 79 / 220 |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
| xisbigawaddani | |
The Somaliland National Party (Somali: Xisbiga Waddani, lit. 'Patriotic Party'), sometimes referred to as the Waddani National Party and better known by its shortened Somali form Waddani, is a political party in Somaliland. The party was founded by Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) in 2012, ahead of the second municipal elections later that year.[3] On 16 November 2021 Hersi Ali Haji Hassan was elected as the new chairman of the opposition party.[1][2]
Economically the party leans left, defending the establishment of a universal healthcare system, public investment and doubling resources in education. It is progressive on issues regarding minority rights and fundamental freedoms, such as proposing a quorum of 30% of women in parliament. The party also supports greater decentralisation. Additionally, the party places great importance on Islamic moral and cultural heritage, and intends to give it a more important place in the education system and in the establishment of laws. The party's economic and diplomatic policy is also more nationalist than that of its rivals, and this nationalism also applies to issues of defense, with the party promising to increase funding dedicated to the army.[4][5]
The constitution of Somaliland only allows for the top three political parties to contest elections, to avoid the previous proliferation of clan-based parties in the 1960s.[6] Waddani became one of the three in 2012, replacing the United Peoples' Democratic Party (UDUB).[7]
- ^ a b "Waa kuma Xirsi, Guddoomiyaha cusub ee xisbiga Waddani?". BBC News Somali (in Somali). 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Somaliland: Waddani Opposition Party Holds 2nd General Convention". MENAFN. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ "About Waddani". Xisbiga Waddani. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ Stebach, Adèle (31 May 2021). "Somaliland Parliamentary Elections: Peace and Democracy". Europe Elects. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Barnaamijka Xisbiga". Xisbiga Waddani (in Somali). 2017. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "A Vote for Change: Somaliland's Two Decades Old Electoral Democracy" (PDF). Academy for Peace and Development. May 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ Omar S Mahmood; Mohamed Farah (October 2017). "High stakes for Somaliland's presidential elections" (PDF). Institute for Security Studies. Retrieved 7 June 2021.