Representatives reject amendments to the Local Administration’s Bill

Hargeisa- (Somaliland.com) – Somaliland’s House of Representatives has rejected amendments to the Districts and Regions’ administration bill introduced by the House of Elders. This included the demotion of three districts to category C.

At Monday’s session, the House of Representatives has rejected all the sixteen changes the upper house of parliament introduced to the bill.

The house rejected the promotion of three districts to Class B and instead relegated them to Class C/third class. The districts denied promotion are Ainabo, Taleh, and Balligubadle. Districts of Class B have fourteen elected local councilors while Class C districts have thirteen.

Another overturned change is the proposal that mayors and their deputies could only be impeached with 2/3rd of the local council. The version passed by the House of Representatives mandates that a simple majority suffices for the task.

The House of Representatives also removed the legal impunity granted to the local councilors by the bill passed by the House of Elders.

The Regions and Districts Self-Administration bill was amended by the House of Elders last week when these sixteen changes were introduced.