In 2022, the Somaliland House of Representatives approved the sixth batch of commissioners. These commissioners, who are presently leading Somaliland’s NEC, have made significant progress. This includes institutional reform of NEC, the revision of all internal policies, procedures, and regulations, and the successful implementation of the third IRIS biometric voter registration across all regions and the 23 electoral districts of Somaliland. Additionally, they have strengthened the partnership between Somaliland’s NEC, civil society, and the international community.
In 2019, the Somaliland House of Representatives approved the fifth batch of commissioners. These commissioners led Somaliland’s NEC had done a great progress ranging from institutional reform of NEC, revision of all internal policies, procedures and regulations to successfully holding the second IRIS Biometric Voter Registration across the regions and throughout the entire 23 electoral districts of Somaliland.
1. Eng. Abdirashid Mohamoud Ali (Riyo-raac) (Chairman)
2. Mustafe Mohamed Dahir (Dhawal)
3. Abdifatah Ibrahim Hassan
4. Kaltun Sh. Hassan Abdi
5. Abdurrahman Mohamed Ismail (Dixood)
6. Mohamoud Dahir Jama
7. Abdikarim Yasin Sh. Dalmar
In 29th November 2014, the House of Representatives approved the fourth batch of commissioners who successfully completed the first IRIS Biometric Voter Registration project in the first year of their tenure. The adoption of this modern system attracted the attention of numerous experts, researchers and academic institutions stationed not only in the Horn of African region but also around the world. To name some of those whose attention was drawn to the advancement of Somaliland’s registry of Voters for its popular elections, Notre Dame University, Georgetown University, ID4Africa and dozens of international journals and news outlets have published articles about Somaliland’s use of the I.RIS Voter Registration system.
The Fourth Commissioners of Somaliland’s NEC were:
1. Eng. Abdulqadir Iman Warsame
2. Mohamoud Hassan Wais
3. Said Ali Musa
4. Abdifatah Ibrahim Hassan
5. Mohamed Jama Mohamed
6. Kaltun Sh. Hassan Abdi
7. Abdurrahman Osman Adan
On 24th October 2009, the House of Representatives approved the third batch of commissioners of Somaliland’s NEC. These Commissioners had successfully led the process of cleaning up the Voter Registry and redistributed close to 1.2 million new voter registration cards in a short period of eight months. Consequently, these commissioners managed the holding of the second presidential election, which was a landmark milestone for Somaliland’s democracy as it had assured a smooth transfer of power from the incumbent president to the winner from an opposition party. Moreover, the Commissioners of 2009—2014 had managed Somaliland’s NEC in holding a heavily-contested local election in 2012 in which the largest number of political parties and associations ran (seven political Parties and Associations, from which three won to qualify as national political parties).
The Third Commissioners of Somaliland’s NEC were:
1. Essa Yussuf Mohamed (Ciise Xamari)
2. Mohamed Ahmed Hersi.
3. Ali-Khadar Hassan Osman
4. Abdifatah Ibrahim Hassan
5. Farah Abib Adan
6. Raabi Abdi Mohamed
7. Abdurrahman Mohamed Ismail
On June 2nd 2007, the House of Representatives approved the second commissioners for leading the Somaliland’s NEC. This batch of commissioners selected by the diverse stakeholders of the electoral process, nominated officially by the president and finally ratified by the firstly-elected parliamentarians encountered the challenges of moving forward a nascent institution that is on its growth curve needing a great deal of dedications and strong leadership. Nevertheless, these Commissioners succeeded in conducting the first biometric voter registration in the years of 2008 and 2009. A step forward that was remarkably adding value to the electoral process of Somaliland and a great area of partnership with the international community that proved the reportedly political will on the ground right.However, arguments over the dating of the upcoming elections came out and repeatedly brought about tensions among the stakeholders interested in the elections particularly the opposition parties and the president coupled with his ruling party. Finally, an agreement was reached by the political parties and the government after six-point consensus was signed, which had also brought about the dissolution of the second batch of commissioners of Somaliland’s NEC.
The second commissioners of Somaliland’s NEC were:
1. Jama Mohamoud Egeh
2. Mohamed Ismail Mohamed
3. Hirsi Hajji Ali Hassan (replaced by Ali Mohamad Abdillahi)
4. Mohamed Yusuf Ahmed
5. Ahmed Mohamed Hajji Dahir (replaced by Khadar Gulaid)
6. Ismail Muse Nur
7. Hassan Mohamed Omer (replaced by Hassan Omar Horri)
The first Somaliland electoral commission members – from 2002 to 2007 – succeeded in holding the first series of democratic elections in Somaliland which started with local elections on the 15th December, 2002, followed by a presidential election on 14th April 2003 and a parliamentary election (House of Representatives or the Lower Chamber of the Somaliland’s Bi-cameral Parliament) on 29th September 2005.The first outstandingly remarkable achievement that the young institution of NEC had attained was shown in the short space of four bare months during which two fair and free elections were managed to be transparently held with very limited technical and financial assistances from outside. This groundbreaking progress had manifested the unwavering commitment and the strong will of not only the Leaders, local experts and staffs of NEC but also that of the country’s political leadership and mostly importantly that of the population of Somaliland—which had been always the pivotal engine that moves forward the healthily growing democracy of the country.
The First Commissioners of Somaliland’s NEC were:
1. Ahmed Hajji Ali (Cadami)
2. Abdillahi Hajji Omar (Jawaan)
3. Shukri Hajji Ismail Bandare
4. Musa Mohamed Jama (Muse Xisbi)
5. Ahmed Adan Godir
6. Mohamed Sh. Abdillahi
7. Mohamed Garaad Mohamed