Only 55 days are remaining Somaliland’s combined election date scheduled for the House of Representatives and the Local Councils; however, the House of Representatives started to debate the Regulation of Political Parties/Associations’ amendment Law (Law No. 14/2011). This law is very sensitive and very important to Somaliland’s democratization process. Furthermore, this law governs and regulates the establishment of political associations, the registration, and the internal democracy of political parties. This law also establishes the Committee for the Registration of Political Parties/Association, which oversees the establishment and registration of the Political Associations and, issuing the license to the winning national Political Parties.
The Current License of the three National Political Parties is ten years and will expire in December 2022. The current Regulation of Political Parties Law (Law No. 14/2011) recognizes that the three political parties who receive the most seats of local council elections become national political parties in ten years term. But the Local Councils Election is happening after 55 Days, and the term of the Political Parties is expiring December 2022. So, Members of the House of Representatives started to amend the current Regulation of Political Parties/Association Law (Law No. 14) to answer that question.
On 7th March, 2021, the House of Representatives of Somaliland discussed its agenda for the 45th session. The MPs who attended that session prioritized the amendment of the Regulation of Political Parties/Associations Law (Law No. 14/2011). At the end of the session, the Speaker of the House, Baashe Mohamed Farah, announced that the House’s chair would nominate a committee from the House members to review Law No. 14/2011.
On 13th March, 2021, the Speaker of the House, Baashe Mohamed Faarah, nominated a special committee consisting of 6 MPs and two lawyers from the House of Representatives to review the Regulation of Political Association Law, suggest the articles needed to amend.
On 3rd April, 2021, The Special Committee presented and shared the House with their recommendations of the amendment of Law No. 14/2011. The Election Monitoring Office of CPA found a copy of the recommendations from the Special Committee of the House of Representatives; these are the main points that are included in their proposal:
- The current Law No. 14/2011 mentions that the term of the Political Parties is ten years, and the three political parties who get the most seats of Local councils will be registered as the National Political Parties. But the Special Committee of the House suggested amendment states that the people will directly elect the Political Parties and the newly registered political associations, and the three highest political associations/parties who receive 20% of all regions will be the national three political parties.
- The Special Committee suggested not to extend the term of the Political parties; if their term expire. The Amendment of the Special Committee suggested that the Political Parties cannot attend any elections, including the Parliamentary, Local and Presidential Elections, when their ten years term expires.
- The Special Committee gives more authority to the Committee for the Registration of the Political Parties/Associations, including overseeing the internal democracy of the political parties. According to the special committee of the House’s recommendation, the government has more influence on the Committee for the Registration of Political Parties/Associations, since the government will manage the employee of the Committee, their budget, and their nomination process, etc. The Special Committee suggested that the Committee for Registration of Political Parties have an authority to revoke the Political Parties’ license if they disobey the Election Laws, the Constitution, the Sharia, or other points in the law.
- According to the Special Committee’s recommendation, the government has more influence on overseeing the internal democracy of the political parties, including auditing their budget, the attorney general to oversee their general assembly and central committee meetings, etc.
- The Special Committee recommended increasing the current registration fee of Political Associations, which is 150,000,000 Somaliland Shilling ($17,650) to 300 Million Somaliland Shilling ($35,300).
- The Committee suggested limiting the Chairperson of the Political party to two terms only starting from when the Political Parties registered.
The House of Representatives started to discuss the current recommendations from the Special Committee of the House. The Recommendations seem to favor the government and the ruling party to have a more direct and indirect influence of overseeing the opposition parties’ internal party activities, including auditing their budget (both the budget they receive from the government and any other income source for the parties), the attorney general to oversee the opposition parties’ meetings. The government’s influence on the Committee for Registration for Political Parties/Association also is very high. While the Special Committee of the House’s recommendations gives more authority to the Committee for Registration of Political Parties/Associations, including revoking the license, closely monitoring their financial expenditure, their General Assembly and Central Committee meetings, etc.