The Voice Of Somaliland: CHANGE OF THE OLD GUARD AND THE ELECTABILITY FACTOR!

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

CHANGE OF THE OLD GUARD AND THE ELECTABILITY FACTOR!

(Waridaad) - CHANGE OF THE OLD GUARD AND THE ELECTABILITY FACTOR!

Dr. Mohamed Omar’s essay, “Somaliland’s forthcoming presidential election is predicted” begins with the following assertion:
“With a view to the upcoming presidential election, Somaliland’s contemporary political narrative points to a potential winner. If the current national context is anything to go by, Kulmiye should get ready for office, and Mr. Ahmed Siilaanyo can start rewriting his long overdue inaugural speech.”

This self serving statement is completely detached from the current political realities of present day Somaliland. We can agree on one and only one thing: The electorate is ready for change of leadership and I am glad that the writer has the courage to say so because the Chairmen of the three political parties are equally allergenic to any changes affecting their respective positions. The phrase is a harbinger of an ill omen- a real political discomfort they can not countenance.
In politics and economics forward looking statements are acceptable with certain parameters provided the metrics are based on a sound and factual analysis. Nine months ahead of an election not even likely to take place in the first place with such certainty, Dr.Omar must have access to highly classified information on the inner workings of Kulmiye party. Predicting the potential winner of the forthcoming presidential election of Somaliland is premature, faulty, and at times, an embarrassment of a life time.

In deed now is the time for a positive change in the political landscape; time for fresh new faces without a certified clean bill of no previous political liabilities such as plunders, mishaps, and failures; time for an infusion of new blood to invigorate the lackluster politics of our nation.
Against the backdrop of the worst political plunder of Kulmiye party, let us evaluate the recent foray of the Second Deputy of the parliament to his native region. At the time of the nominations for the new National Electoral Commission, Mr. Bashe Mohamed Farah and other Deputies and Ministers from Sool had a private meeting with Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud, the Chairman of Kulmiye party. The discussion was centered on the one Kulmiye nominee to the National Elections Commission and it was mutually agreed that the nominee will be from Sool.

The next day, and without prior notice to Mr. Bashe and the other MPs, the deal collapsed; a junior cashier at Dahabshil Establishment was declared the party's nominee to the Commission. This scandalous event infuriated Mr.Bashe and the MPs from Sool. The ruling party wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation- President Riyale appointed Mr. Garad, a member of the disbanded Commission, as a Minister of state for Education- a ceremonial portfolio, but a government position, none the less. Mr. Bashe's recent visit to Las Anod did not shore up the party's overall rating. The same thing goes for Maroodi Jeex and Awdal regions.
Chairman Ahmed's clandestine meetings with the elders of Togdheer Clans was against the party protocol and spirit of the democratization of Somaliland. If the electorate is resoundingly pro-Kumiye at this point as Dr. Omar states, why did the Honourable chairman resort to the good old clan politics of the past without the presence of the party Executives! Accountability and transparency is two way street; the leadership of the national political parties is no exception to this cardinal law!

In the United Kingdom, Canada and the rest of the western democracies, the fundamental freedoms of the individual had been incorporated into their constitutions for centuries and we expect our nascent democracy to follow suite. In other words, we hold our government accountable for any constitutional transgressions;any denial of our civil and political liberties or any tampering with the judiciary is unacceptable. The rule of law is for all. The incarceration any individual for his/her political views or the expression thereof of these freedoms is an affront to the Universal declaration of Human Rights as incorporated into the Charters of the United Nations Organisation, the African Union, and the European Union.

In spite of the fact of the incarceration of the journalists, the government's appalling records in manipulating the interpretation of the constitution, the absence of certified audited accounts of the national budget for the past six years, and the failure of government to submit all agreements and treaties with foreign governments as stipulated by our constitution, the two opposition parties failed to capitalise on these opportunities on a sustainable basis. Fact or fiction! In real politics, one strike out and you are out for good. There is no second chance to reinvent yourself.

The game of numbers is immaterial in the coming election; if anything, this issue is rather inconsequential. An unsecured US$300.00 Million worth of investment and the associated infrastructure raises a lot of questions. so far the government has not tabled the details of the project and we will leave it at that! The electorate is looking for serious issues of substance on the campaign trail . If the party's election platform is long on generalities but short on specifics will not strike a chord with the electorate. With the exception of the intervention of Devine Providence, none of the three national parties have a winning strategy in hand.
In conclusion and based on Dr. Omar's assumptions and conclusions the picture is not rosy. Making all other things equal, the essay deliberately left out two essential factors:Electability and New leaders. Had Dr. Omar included them in the analysis, it would have been a sure recipe for winning and to that effect, Omar's "rewriting of the long overdue inaugural speech" for his leader of choice is premature. The elecorate is serious anticipating change of the old guard!

Long Live Somaliland,

Regards,

Ahmed Ali Ibrahim Sabeyse

email: asabeyse@hotmail.com

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The New Somaliland Press & Publications Bill 2007

The Somaliland Government has recently sent to the House of Representatives a new Bill on press and publications. The provisions of this bill (based almost entirely on the Yemen Law No: 25 of 1990 on the Press & Publications) run contrary to international norms relating to freedom of expression and the independence of the press and are not in line with the Somaliland constitution.
The considerable powers given to the Minister of Information (and other ministers) include even deciding on appeals from anyone whose writings have been turned down for publication by a newspaper’s editor (Article 46). These ministerial powers over the press and publishers/printers/distributors etc, the compulsory registration of all press and publication activities, including the practice of the profession of journalism, and the extensive criminal sanctions which add to the existing array of criminal offences in the 1962 Somali Penal Code contrast sharply with the current Somaliland Press Law (2004), which contains no criminal sanctions and is based on codes of conduct. Unfortunately the Somaliland Government has repeatedly made clear its dissatisfaction with the current press Law and has used the Penal Code and extra-judicial powers to detain and imprison journalists. It is no surprise, therefore, that the Somaliland Government is not putting forward amendments of the current Press Law, but is now proposing its wholesale replacement by this new Bill which introduces considerable criminal sanctions, such as fines and imprisonment (Article 99) for the infringement of its numerous provisions, as well as prohibition of continued practice of journalism or publication or even circulation of printed materials; confiscation of property, including printing presses (Article 101) and seizure of printed materials (Article 102)..........Full Text

The Isaq Somali Diaspora And‎ Poll-Tax Agitation In Kenya, 1936-41‎

Poll-tax agitation has been a fairly common phenomenon in Africa. On most occasions it has involved little ‎more than vocalized protest. In a few instances, however, it has led to resistance that has been both serious ‎and violent; the earliest example of the latter is probably to be found in the widespread Fante uprisings that ‎occurred immediately after the introduction of the Gold Coast Poll Tax Ordinance of 1852; a later example is ‎the Natal uprising of 1906 which has been attributed in large measure to the introduction of poll tax at the ‎end of the previous year. Yet the agitation by the Isaq Somali in Kenya did not follow either of these two ‎patterns. In several respects it was a highly unusual movement: first, the Isaq were campaigning to pay higher ‎taxation; secondly, in order to secure their aims they attempted to mobilize the whole Isaq diaspora, so that ‎Somali in Uganda, Tanganyika, British Somaliland and Britain were all involved in this agitation, (see map )‎.....Read the rest

The "Letter-of-Death" by General "Morgan" January 23, 1987

(Waridaad) - Following is the famous "Letter-of-Death" as translated into English by Mohamoud Sheikh Ahmed Musa, former President of the Supreme Court, including his explanatory notes as footnotes:1
The report is addressed to the President of the SDR, the Minister of Defence, and the Minister of Interior. The latter, Major-General Ahmed Suleiman Abdalla, is also a son-in-law of the President, and Third Deputy Prime Minister. Since President Barre is also the Minister of Defence -- the previous holder of that portfolio, General Mohamed Ali Samatar, having been promoted Prime Minister on January 30, 1987 -- the report is seemingly confined to family members. This would explain its extreme frankness in specifying certain clans as targets for implemented and recommended punitive action.
The target is the Isaaq Clan Family. The term "clan family" was first coined by Professor I.M. Lewis, Professor Social Anthropology at the London School Economics, to describe the collective name for each of the several major divisions to which Somali clans traditionally divide themselves. The Isaaq clan family sub-divides into four main clans.
Top Secret.......Read the rest