Somaliland

Taiwan’s Newest Diplomatic Ally Somaliland Takes Backward Step

Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of articles on or about Taiwan’s newest diplomatic ally, Somaliland, in north east Africa.

In a raucous session, the Somaliland Parliament has passed the much-anticipated election law without the critical components that were intended to give women and minorities a fair representation in the legislator.A vote on the election bill was scheduled for a vote in the Parliament on September 12th, but was delayed for other debates on bills submitted to Parliament by President Muse Bihi Abdi concerning free trade zones and foreign investment.

The exclusion of parliamentary seat quota(s) in the election is major setback for Somaliland’s women and minority groups who have lobbied the government and political parties extensively.

Somaliland’s capital city

Although some members of the Parliament have objected to the quota on grounds of unconstitutionality, there is nothing in Somaliland’s constitution that prohibits a mechanism that guarantees fair representation for women and minority groups in the country’s parliament.

Setting up a quota for women and minority groups have been in the works for a while, and President Bihi and his cabinet approved a quota allocating 21 seats for women and minority clans in June 2018.

Similarly, all three political parties have expressed support for the quota.

Civil society and community activists have expressed their disappointment in the parliament’s vote against the quota for women and minority groups.

Women and minority groups have been particularly disadvantaged in Somaliland politics where tribal dynamics and numbers play a major role in elections.

The failure of this important feature in Somaliland’s democracy was widely criticized by Somaliland civil society groups and activists.

 

This article first appeared in the Somaliland Chronicle and is republished with permission.

Guest Article

Recent Posts

Taiwan’s first indigenous submarine completes maiden sea trial in strategic defense milestone

Taiwan successfully completed the maiden sea trial of its first domestically developed submarine on Tuesday,…

2 weeks ago

U.S. launches strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Operation Midnight Hammer

In an unprecedented covert operation, the United States carried out a high-risk, long-range bombing mission…

2 weeks ago

India’s Modi clarifies with Trump there was no US mediation in India-Pakistan ceasefire

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has firmly refuted claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump…

3 weeks ago

Trump exits G7 early amid escalating Iran-Israel crisis, warns Iranians to evacuate Tehran

U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly left the Group of Seven (G7) summit on Tuesday, citing…

3 weeks ago

Trump administration contemplates expanding travel ban to 36 more countries amid security concerns

The Trump administration is considering a dramatic expansion of its travel ban policy, potentially barring…

3 weeks ago

Iran strikes Tel Aviv and Haifa as Israel-Iran tensions reach its fourth day

Tensions in the Middle East escalated dramatically on Monday as Iran launched a barrage of…

3 weeks ago