Hargeisa (SD) – The internal affairs and security sub-committee of the Somaliland House of Representatives proposed amendments to the Electoral Law to the House of Representatives yesterday, suggesting that the amendments be approved.

The amendments include Article 76 of the Electoral Law, with Clause 5 that deals with the quota seats for women.

The Home Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives said it had suspended the Article, as it was unconstitutional and said that Somaliland citizens were equal before the election law, and therefore there should be no quota in the Constitution.

Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Internal Affairs Committee, MP Abdullahi Balaki, explaining to the House the amendments and suspensions said “Article 36, Clause 1, the right to liberty and the duties guaranteed by the Constitution, women shall be equal to men except in matters of Islamic law.”

He also added: “It is clear to the Committee that Article 76, Paragraph 5 and Article 18, Paragraph 2 and 3 are against the Constitution of the Republic of Somaliland for allowing a quota, the constitution give equal rights to all Somaliland citizens, therefore, Article 76, Paragraph 5 and Article 18, Paragraphs 2 and 3 have been suspended. ”

Finally, the Electoral Code amended and supplemented by the Home Affairs Committee was distributed to the Members of the House for reading, and for approval in the coming days.