Somaliland: House of Elders sends amendments to election law back to Lower House

Somaliland: House of Elders sends amendments to election law back to Lower House 

Source: Hiiraan Online, Tuesday September 27, 2022

Hargeisa (HOL) – Somaliland House of Elders sent an amendment to the nation’s election law back to the House of Representatives on Monday.

The law sought to alter the rules governing organizations and political parties.The House of elders stated that their decision was based on a complaint from 46 MPs, who argued that the vote violated House bylaws.

The amendment was presented to the House of Elders on September 19, following a contentious vote. The House of elders stated that their decision to send the legislation back was based on a complaint from 46 MPs, who argued that the vote violated House bylaws.

“We determined that this amendment should not be placed before the house and should be returned to the House of Representatives after consulting with the house’s lawyer,” the House of Elders said in a statement.

The election law amended by the House of Representatives allows the presidential election and the formation of political organizations to be held simultaneously. 

The parliamentary speaker called off the House of Representatives session on Saturday after lawmakers from the opposition, and the government disagreed on the legality of the election law amendment.

The electoral commission of Somaliland announced on Saturday that the presidential election would be postponed due to “technical and financial reasons,” according to the electoral commission.

The commission did not specify a new date, only stating that there would be a “nine-month delay beginning October 1, 2022.”

Muse Bihi Abdi was elected President of the self-proclaimed Horn of Africa Republic for a five-year term in 2017, and the election was set for November 13, a month before his term expires.