Somaliland voters have turned out to elect their fourth president today, with global and regional media and 28 international observers monitoring the process.
Somaliland, which occupies a strategic position near the entryway to the Red Sea, declared independence from the Mogadishu government in 1991.
The Hargeisa government is hoping to soon finalize a preliminary deal signed in January with landlocked Ethiopia that would grant Addis Ababa coastal land in exchange for diplomatic recognition. Hargeisa is also hopeful US President-elect Donald Trump will be favorable to its cause.
President Muse Bihi Abdi, in power since 2017, is standing for re-election against the main opposition party's candidate, Abdirahman Cirro.
The vote was originally scheduled for 2022, but lawmakers opted to extend Bihi's term by two years.
The candidates differ on domestic issues, but both have expressed support for the memorandum of understanding with Ethiopia. Mohamed A. Mohamoud, Somaliland's representative to Kenya, told reporters that the government would finalize the deal after the election, regardless of who wins, according to Reuters.
Somaliland is also optimistic that the incoming Trump administration will revisit Washington's longstanding recognition of Mogadishu's sovereignty over Somaliland.
Several leading State Department officials who worked on Africa policy during Trump's first term have publicly voiced support for recognizing Somaliland.
"We are hopeful that the new administration will defy some of the (traditional) American policy," Mohamoud said.
Mohamoud said the competitive, multi-party election was proof of Somaliland's democratic credentials. The country also remained relatively peaceful since it declared independence in 1991.