Mr Silanyo, an ageing scion of the Somali National Movement, which fought the Barre regime, lost the 2003 vote to Mr Kahin by 80 votes amid suspicions of electoral fraud.

ECONOMIST: Somaliland's elections

There was, for example, the reported distribution of false voter ID cards and widespread underage voting around the town of Borama near the Ethiopian border, home territory of President Dahir Riyale Kahin.

ECONOMIST: Somaliland's elections

However, early indications were that Mr Kahin, who became president in 2002 when his predecessor died and who once served in the regime of Siad Barre, Somalia's last military dictator, had lost to Ahmed Silanyo.

ECONOMIST: Somaliland's elections