The two decrees present competing interpretations of parliamentary procedure and the authority of the Acting Speaker.
Hargeisa (SLpost)- A dispute has emerged within the leadership of Somaliland’s House of Representatives over the appointment of a special parliamentary committee.
The 11-member committee has been tasked with reviewing proposed amendments to the country’s Islamic Banking Law introduced to the house on late September, 2026.
The dispute follows two formal decrees issued on October 3, 2026, by the offices of the First and Second Deputy Speakers, setting out conflicting positions over the procedure and authority involved in establishing the committee.
First Deputy Speaker issues decree appointing special committee
The First Deputy Speaker of Somaliland’s House of Representatives, Saed Mire Farah (Giire), who is serving as Acting Speaker in the absence of Speaker Yasin Haji Mohamoud Xiir (Faratoon), appointed a special Ad Hoc Committee to examine the proposed amendments and additions to Islamic Banking Law No. 55/2012.
The decree, with reference number GW/G/14/289/2026 and issued on 3 May, 2026 states that the committee is mandated to review the proposed legislation and conduct consultations on the draft law.
Giire cited provisions of the House’s Rules of Procedure as the legal basis for the appointment, including provisions governing special committees.
Second Deputy Speaker challenges the appointment
The appointment was subsequently challenged by Second Deputy Speaker Ali Hamud Jibril in a decree bearing reference number GW/G/12/180/2026 and dated on the same day.
The decree, titled “Correction of the Procedure for the Appointment of the Special Committee on the Draft Law Amending and Supplementing the Islamic Banking Law No. 55/2012,” was addressed to members of the House and its Secretary-General, as well as the First Deputy Speaker.
Ali Hamud argues that the procedure used to appoint the committee does not comply with provisions of the House’s Rules of Procedure. His decree specifically invokes provisions concerning the legislative process and the establishment and composition of special committees.
Dispute centres on Acting Speaker’s authority
At the heart of the disagreement is the scope of the authority exercised by the First Deputy Speaker while serving as Acting Speaker.
The parliamentary rules provide for the First Deputy Speaker to temporarily perform the Speaker’s functions when the Speaker is absent. At the same time, the rules contain specific provisions governing the appointment and selection of members of special committees.
This has created a procedural dispute over whether the authority to appoint a special committee automatically transfers to the Acting Speaker when the Speaker is absent, or whether the appointment remains subject to the specific procedures governing special committees.
Deputy Ali Hamud’s decree cites Articles 9, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 53 of the House’s Rules of Procedure in challenging the procedure used for the appointment.
Islamic Banking Law at centre of dispute
The dispute concerns proposed amendments and additions to Islamic Banking Law No. 55/2012 introduced to the house at the end of last month.
The disagreement therefore concerns not only the composition of the Ad Hoc Committee, but also the parliamentary procedure through which the proposed Islamic Banking Law amendments are to be examined.
Leadership dispute emerges during Speaker’s absence
The development comes while Speaker Yasin Haji Mohamoud Xiir (Faratoon) is outside the country, leaving Giire to perform the duties of Acting Speaker.
The two decrees present competing interpretations of parliamentary procedure and the authority of the Acting Speaker.
The exercised rules of procedure of both decrees do not constitute a final legal determination that either position is unlawful. Rather, they formally present a disagreement within the House leadership over the interpretation of its Rules of Procedure and the authority to establish a special committee.
The issue is expected to be addressed during the House’s forthcoming proceedings, where lawmakers could clarify the procedural basis for the committee and determine how the proposed amendments to Islamic Banking Law No. 55/2012 should proceed.
