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

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

. It emerged out of the Western Somali Liberation Front

Western Somali Liberation Front

The Western Somali Liberation Front 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 the invading Somali Army...

 in 1975. The former President of the Somali Region

Somali Region

Somali Region ; is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. It is often called Somalia, though it is not to be confused with the independent country of the same name. The capital of Somali State is Jijiga...

, Hassan Jire Kalinle, has been the party chairman since 1994; the vice chairman of the party is Joseph Nur.

In the 2005 regional elections, the WSDP won one seat (of 182) in the legislature of the Somali Region. In 2000

Ethiopian general election, 2000

Ethiopia held general elections on 14 May and 31 August 2000, for seats in both its national and in several Regional government councils. although several opposition parties boycotted the election, 17 parties including the All-Amhara People's Organization, the Southern Ethiopia Peoples' Democratic...

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

Kebri Dahar

Kebri Dahar is a town in the eastern part of Ethiopia known as the Ogaden. Located in the Korahe Zone of the Somali Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 493 meters above sea level...

 and Warder

Warder

- Places :* Warder, Netherlands, a village in the municipality of Zeevang* Warder, Germany, a municipality in Schleswig-Holstein- People with the surname :* A. K...

. In the 1995 elections

Ethiopian general election, 1995

General elections were held in Ethiopia on 7 and 18 May 1995 for seats in its Council of People's Representatives; elections in the Afar, Somali, and Harari Regions were delayed until 28 June to assign experienced personnel who could solve possible conflicts and irregularities...

, the WSDP won 15 of the 135 seats in the regional parliament and 1 of the 25 seats assigned to the Somali Region.