▁elections ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁combine ▁voting ▁for ▁municipal ▁and ▁National ▁Assembly ▁posts . ▁Si xty - four ▁parties ▁cont ested ▁the ▁elections . ▁Only ▁the ▁SY L , ▁however , ▁presented ▁candidates ▁in ▁every ▁election ▁district , ▁in ▁many ▁cases ▁without ▁opposition . ▁E ight ▁other ▁parties ▁presented ▁lists ▁of ▁candidates ▁for ▁national ▁offices ▁in ▁most ▁districts . ▁Of ▁the ▁remaining ▁fifty - five ▁parties , ▁only ▁twenty - four ▁gained ▁representation ▁in ▁the ▁assembly , ▁but ▁all ▁of ▁these ▁were ▁dis band ed ▁almost ▁immediately ▁when ▁their ▁fifty ▁members ▁joined ▁the ▁SY L . ▁ ▁Both ▁the ▁ple th ora ▁of ▁parties ▁and ▁the ▁defe ction ▁to ▁the ▁majority ▁party ▁were ▁typical ▁of ▁Som ali ▁parliament ary ▁elections . ▁To ▁register ▁for ▁elect ive ▁office , ▁a ▁candidate ▁merely ▁needed ▁either ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁ 5 0 0 ▁vot ers ▁or ▁the ▁spons or ship ▁of ▁his ▁cl an , ▁expressed ▁through ▁a ▁vote ▁of ▁its ▁traditional ▁assembly . ▁After ▁register ing , ▁the ▁office ▁see ker ▁then ▁attempted ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁official ▁candidate ▁of ▁a ▁political ▁party . ▁Fail ing ▁this , ▁he ▁would ▁remain ▁on ▁the ▁ball ot ▁as ▁an ▁individual ▁contest ant . ▁V oting ▁was ▁by ▁party ▁list , ▁which ▁could ▁make ▁a ▁candidate ▁a ▁one - person ▁party . ▁( This ▁practice ▁explained ▁not ▁only ▁the ▁pro l ifer ation ▁of ▁small ▁parties ▁but ▁also ▁the ▁trans ient ▁nature ▁of ▁party ▁support .) ▁Many ▁candidates ▁affili ated ▁with ▁a ▁major ▁party ▁only ▁long ▁enough ▁to ▁use