Western Somali Democratic Party (WSDP; also known as ''Somali Galbed'') is a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. It emerged from the

Western Somali Liberation Front The Western Somali Liberation Front ( so, Jabhadda Xoreynta Somali Galbeed; abbreviated WSLF) was a separatist rebel group fighting in eastern Ethiopia to create an independent state. It played a major role in the Ogaden War of 1977-78 assisting ...

in 1975. The former President of the

Somali Region The Somali Region ( so, Deegaanka Soomaalida, am, ሱማሌ ክልል, Sumalē Kilil, ar, المنطقة الصومالية), also known as Soomaali Galbeed (''Western Somalia'') and officially the Somali Regional State, is a regional state ...

Hassan Jire Kalinle Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People * Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scotti ...

, has been the party chairman since 1994; the vice chairman of the party is

Joseph Nur Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

. In the 2005 regional elections, the WSDP won one seat (of 182) in the legislature of the Somali Region. In

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

it had won 3 out of 168. The principal strongholds of the WSDP's support is around

Jigjiga Jijiga (, am, ጅጅጋ, ''Jijiga'') is the capital city of Somali Region, Ethiopia. It became the capital of the Somali Region in 1995 after it was moved from Gode. Located in the Fafan Zone with 70 km (37 mi) west of the border ...

Kebri Dahar Kebri dehar ( so, Qabri-Dahare) is a city in the eastern part of Ethiopia known as the Somali Region. Located in the Korahe Zone of the Somali Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 1609 meters above sea level. ...

and Warder. In the 1995 elections, the WSDP won 15 of the 135 seats in the regional parliament and 1 of the 25 seats assigned to the Somali Region.John Markakis
"The Somali in Ethiopia," ''Review of African Political Economy''
23, No. 70 (December, 1996), p. 569

Notes

1975 establishments in Ethiopia Ethnic political parties in Ethiopia Political parties established in 1975 Political parties in Ethiopia {{Ethiopia-party-stub