1961 Somali constitutional referendum

none Somali Republic 20 June 1961 1,756,216 183,000 9,132 A constitutional referendum was held in Somalia on 20 June 1961 to vote on the new constitution for the country created the previous year by the union of the State of Somaliland and the Trust Territory of Somaliland. It was approved by 91% of voters.Elections in Somalia https://web.archive.org/web/20250211174838/https://africanelections.tripod.com/so.html 2025-02-11 African Elections Database In the territory of former State of Somaliland, the Somali National League (SNL) party encouraged a boycott of the referendum, and 60% of the approximately 100,000 votes from the area opposed the constitution.Poore Brad Somaliland: Shackled to a Failed State Stanford Journal of International Law (45) 1 The SNL boycott of the referendum stemmed mainly, not from disagreement with procedural or substantive aspects of the document, but rather from the disgruntlement of political leaders who had failed to gain tangible political rewards, especially in the new Somali cabinet.Political Parties and National Integration in Tropical Africa Coleman James Smoot University of California Press 1964 549 Outside of the Isaaq clan, which was the main base of support for the SNL, the constitution enjoyed near-universal support in the north by the Dir and Darod minorities. The majority Dir and Darod northern cities of Borama and Las Anod voted yes in the referendum, with approval rates of 96 percent and 82 percent, respectively.Africa's First Democrats: Somalia's Aden A. Osman and Abdirazak H. Hussen Samatar Abdi I. Indiana University Press 2016 9780253022370 104 Conduct More votes were cast in Wanlaweyn, a small town in southern Somalia, than in the entirety of Somaliland. This created a climate of distrust and a new term for southerners called "Wanla Weyn".Diriye Abdullahi, M. (2001) Culture And Customs Of Somalia, Greenwood Publishing Group, p.27 The district commissioner of Wanlaweyn was however promptly sacked and international observers considered it generally free and fair outside of Wanlaweyn and Adale.Samatar Abdi Ismail https://books.google.co.ke/books/about/Africa_s_First_Democrats.html?id=4Yt2DQAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y Africa's First Democrats: Somalia's Aden A. Osman and Abdirazak H. Hussen 2016-09-26 Indiana University Press 978-0-253-02237-0 103 en Results 1756216 183000 9132 Middle East InstituteMiddle East Institute Aftermath The Greater Somalia League, Somali National League and United Somali Party petitioned the High Court against the outcome. However, the constitution was ratified on 1 July, although the referendum results were only approved by the High Court on 4 July.https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/4323406.pdf 436 Middle East Journal 1961 15 4 Chronology: June 16, 1961 – September 15, 1961 In the south, Sheikh Ali Jimale, the runner-up in Somalia's first presidential election, similarly vigorously campaigned against the referendum over the appointment of Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke as prime minister instead of his clansman Abdullahi Issa. This led his home region of Hiran to overwhelmingly reject the constitution. In fact there were more opposing votes to the referendum in the southern region of Hiran than in the entirety of the north.Africa's First Democrats: Somalia's Aden A. Osman and Abdirazak H. Hussen Samatar Abdi Ismail Indian University Press 102 In May 1963, Jimale and SNL leader Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal along with 20 other members of the National Assembly formed the Somali National Congress (SNC) to oppose the ruling Somali Youth League (SNL). Thus, by the end of 1963, Isaaq particularism appeared more and more to be finding an outlet in the SNC, and its objectives were less the division of the Republic than the downfall of the SYL government.A Modern History of the Somali Lewis I.M. Avalon Publishing 1988 177 References Constitutional Somalia Category:Referendums in Somalia Category:Constitutional referendums Somalia Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results