Skip to content The Parliament & Public Policy Quarterly (Vol. 01, Issue 01, September 2025), examines Somaliland’s hybrid governance system, focusing on the roles, strengths, and democratic challenges of its bicameral parliament. The issue features two major analyses: the first assesses the House of Elders (Guurti), highlighting its stabilizing influence in conflict mediation and cultural legitimacy while critiquing its unelected, gerontocratic, and non‑inclusive structure that undermines democratic accountability. The second article reviews the evolution of the House of Representatives, noting early democratic gains, significant election delays, limited oversight capacity, and persistent exclusion of women and youth. Both pieces emphasize the need for institutional reforms—transparent elections, inclusivity measures, strengthened research capacity, and clarified mandates—to harmonize Somaliland’s traditional governance with modern democratic principles and to reinforce long‑term political legitimacy.
