By Jama Ayaanle Feyte, Journalist, Horn of Africa Security Expert and Political Analyst
Dateline: Hargeisa – The Chairman of the ruling WADDANI party, Mr. Hirsi Ali H. Hassan, has convened a high-level consultative meeting with a delegation of academic researchers from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), who are currently undertaking in-depth field studies on the political system and governance structures of the Republic of Somaliland.
The strategic dialogue, hosted at the party’s central headquarters in Hargeisa, was attended by the party’s Deputy Chairman, Mr. Abdirashid Mohamed Yusuf, alongside other senior officials and members of the central executive committee. The presence of the party’s top leadership signals the government’s active commitment to engaging with international scholarly perspectives on Somaliland’s democratic journey.
The NMBU research team is conducting a comprehensive study examining the democratization process in the Republic of Somaliland, with a particular focus on the institutional dynamics of political parties, the legal and regulatory frameworks governing electoral cycles, and the broader mechanisms that sustain political participation. The researchers are especially interested in how Somaliland’s multi-party system has evolved and how the ruling party navigates its dual role as both the government and a political organization within a competitive democratic environment.
During the deliberations, Chairman Hirsi Ali H. Hassan provided the Norwegian academics with an authoritative overview of the current political landscape from the perspective of the governing party. He detailed the administration’s achievements in advancing institutional reforms, maintaining stability, and ensuring continuity in the electoral timetable. He also candidly discussed the challenges that come with governing—such as balancing national development priorities with party mobilization, ensuring fiscal transparency, and managing the logistical complexities of organizing credible nationwide polls.
Crucially, the Chairman emphasized that the ruling WADDANI party views robust academic scrutiny not as a threat, but as a valuable tool for self-assessment and policy refinement. He reiterated his party’s unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law, conducting free and fair elections, and respecting the constitutional role of all political actors, including the opposition. He expressed confidence that the NMBU research findings would provide constructive recommendations to strengthen Somaliland’s governance model and offer an objective, data-driven narrative to the international community about the country’s state-building efforts.
For their part, the Norwegian researchers praised the accessibility and transparency of Somaliland’s political institutions. They noted that their engagement with the ruling party offers critical insights into how power is exercised and institutionalized in a self-declared democracy that has achieved notable political endurance despite the absence of widespread international recognition. The delegation is expected to continue its fieldwork with other political parties, civil society organizations, and the National Electoral Commission to compile a holistic picture of the country’s democratic health.
As Somaliland prepares for its upcoming electoral cycle, this academic partnership serves as a timely opportunity for the ruling party to reflect on its governance track record and engage with evidence-based policy dialogue, ultimately reinforcing the credibility of the nation’s homegrown democratic experiment.
About the Author: Jama Ayaanle Feyte is a distinguished journalist, a specialist in Horn of Africa security dynamics, and a political analyst whose work focuses on governance, conflict resolution, and regional integration.
