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| OPINION |
This is the excellent foppery of the world! that, when we are sick in fortune, (often the surfeit of our own behaviour,) we make guilty of our disasters, the sun, the moon, and the stars. - In William Shakespeare's King Lear. The opposition parties in Somaliland have recently etched up the political noise and hot air in Somaliland. Any observer of politics in Somaliland knows why, in a word, fear. The citizens of Somaliland have strong political opinions; glaring differences on how we should continue forward; enormous divergence on exactly who should lead the country; however, the people of Somaliland are committed to the idea of a healthy and robust opposition in the country. This commitment is based on the idea that, a strong opposition is in the interest of democracy and in the interest of the country as we experiment with parliamentary democracy. Opposition parties in Somaliland have every right to be fearful. Contrary to their ever present boast of the stature and depth of their politicians and their mocking of the current president of Somaliland as a political "lightweight" the opposition leaders and their political parties have, through clear evidence, been outmanoeuvred and out hustled by Dahir Riyaale Kahin and his political machine UDUB. The opposition, having been defeated in an election that was clearly given high marks by organizations and election monitors; including the United States government, through its recent assertions on the municipal elections by the state department. As well, and more importantly, the people of Somaliland accepted the results without even a sound: concretizing the legitimacy of the municipal elections into our elections history. Included in this was the acceptance of all the political parties that passed the threshold of the results, and particularly, its endorsement by a person w hom I hold in the highest esteem: Ahmed Mohamud Silaanyo. These elections, to be fair, were also not without problems. Given the fact that elections have not been held in Somaliland for the last forty years, and that none of the three candidates for the Presidency have actually been through a direct people driven election neither as candidates nor as leaders of political parties, lack of experience was a major culprit in the problems detected by many organizations. Nonetheless, the elections were recorded as clearly legitimate and represent a major victory for democracy in Somaliland. The opposition parties however, have been wont to continue to challenge the legitimacy of the party that won the election, UDUB. They base their claims on one single issue, money. The claim is made that UDUB uses the financial resources of the government to campaign for the parliamentary and presidential elections in Somaliland. First, these charges are simple, and the answer to this is simple: Yes, cases of inexperienced and even un-ethical employees of the state using the resources of the state for electoral politics have happened and it must be stopped. There are protocols that can be used to help fight and even eliminate these practises. Any form of corruption must not be tolerated whether it is from the government or from the opposition. The opposition parties should continue to badger the government and demand farness. The electoral commission has a responsibly to get things done on this issue, some of the members in the EC were elected to that body from the opposit ion and it is their job either to resign in protest or help fix the problem. I agree with the opposition that there are practises that are unfair to the opposition and indeed finally may hurt our democratic experiment if we do not fix these problems. One immediate issue should be an issuance of monies to support that work of political parties; the opposition should be extended some of the resources so that their campaign efforts are not seriously retarded. However, given the municipal elections, and the results thereafter, opposition parties were not too greatly impacted by this problem. Somali Landers ultimately went to the ballot box and voted their beliefs and parties. That said, the opposition has nothing more to present to the people of Somaliland. One dark and clearly repulsive political ploy is the current debate on human rights. This issue has been politicized with the single objective of polarization. The ostensible rationale - in election time nonetheless - is that there must be accountability for the human rights abuses in Somaliland. Everyone welcomes this and there is a human rights office that is continuing with work. The deputy speaker of the national assembly, and a voice greatly respected in the country, has commented on this same issue more or less urging restraint and patience for the office to complete its work. What is different about the discourse of human rights in this electoral period, is the new subject of political naming. This to me, as a patriot of Somaliland, shames me most. Politicians I agree should be vigorous in the pursuit of other politicians' character, how else would people know those dark issues inside each politician closet? True, there is a responsibly in multi-party politics to take your opponent - to use a worn metaphor - to the cleaners. True, there is a responsibly to vigorously debate the issues with the outmost of passion in order to advance the interests of your own political party. False, that any politician has a right to smear another politician using the blood of the people of Somaliland. It is most unfortunate and it makes me boil with contempt for those who do it under the guise of "politics". Without even the modest respect for the presidency, many have spoken of the current president in the same breath as Morgan and Gani, people who represent the failure of the moral condition in humanity. The president was named as third in line in this gallery of Nazi like personalities. This to me is an affront to the very nature of simple human teaching, the things for example a mother and father teach their children at a young age about personal ethics and personal respect. The sub-text of this discourse is painful and indeed chews at the stone laid at the foundation of Somaliland in Burao in 1991: reconciliation. Both the government and the opposition are guilty of this offence and they ought to stop this clearly distasteful and outrageous politics. However, I believe the opposition has kept this issue alive to gain political points from the people of Somaliland. I believe they will fail. Dahir Riyyale Kahin is the constitutionally elected president of this Republic. If anyone believes they have the evidence to convict the third president of This Republic of Somaliland of crimes against humanity I challenge them to take him to court, in the country or outside the country. Otherwise, to use a old saying, put up or shut up! Naming the president without finding remedy is cowardly. The political party that this writer belongs to UDUB has begun a process of reform and change so as to meet the political and economic challenges in Somaliland. Central to the political challenge in Somaliland is this: broad coalition building and a political party that is cross-cutting. These two notions are critically important to the very foundation of the future of the type of political system that we have selected and which was ratified through the constitution by the people of this country. UDUB recorded a breakthrough in this initial stage of building these important pillars of politics in the country by receiving, by a wide margin, votes from every region and constituency and thus propelling them to take the lion share of the municipal seats in the country. UDUB is clearly beginning to reform and purge party operatives from that past regime. These operatives and their cohorts have been responsible for much of what has gone wrong in the country. UDUB is committed to purging any leftovers and hangers -on of the old way of doing politics. UDUB is committed to participating in a transparent way, in a democratic way, in a civil way, in the politics of this country. UDUB will take the agenda of change and reformation to the people of Somaliland in order to satisfy the needs and wants of the people of Somaliland. In his first 10 months the Presidency in Somaliland has accomplished much against the corruption that was rampant in the country; the president has brought in new blood into the executive; the president has named new and popular Ministers who are young or old but very capable irrespective of whether they support UDUB. Indeed the list is full of achievements and more will be accomplished if the people of Somaliland elect UDUB. This is a clear message that UDUB intends to move towards a direction of change and reformation. Many of the people who were at the forefront of criticizing UDUB and supporting the opposition for a long period of time believe in this agenda of reform and have joined UDUB. The political party ASAD and its long standing opposition leader Seleban Gaal having recently joined UDUB, this writer known for his radical opposition to the governing party, and indeed of the last two presidents, has also joined UDUB for these reasons: UDUB is headed to the right path if the reformers push it. It should be remembered that UDUB is not perfect, it has made many mistakes, however of all the political parties in Somaliland UDUB is the only party that can institutionalize the peace in the country, UDUB has begun the process of thinking systemically and is attracting technocrats, people from academia, the private sector, the public sector, and those who work in government outside and inside Somaliland as UDUB prepares for this new century. UDUB is committed to the idea of system building, consensus building, and inviting stakeholders to help inform government policy. UDUB believes in overcoming the idea so prevalent in the opposition parties of the "man on the white horse". This mentality is from the political culture that glorifies one person at the expense of the system of government that we want to build. The people of Somaliland want a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. The people of Somaliland do not want government of a personality by a personality and for a personality! As is the case with the opposition. During a recent BBC interview Somali Landers were shocked to hear one of their great sons and a person admired very much by this writer, a person known for his articulate grasp of the Somali language and a bone fide orator, fail to express the political program of his party! Asked about the program of the party this leader asked the majority of the people of Somaliland, whose main information arrives from radio programming, and who are mostly pastoralists, to go and read the party's political manifesto! As if the elections were between Labour and the Tories! This is alarming and smacks of the elitism that many in Somaliland believe is a stumbling block to change in the country. As well the leader of KULMIYE claims that the president was lying about his invitation to Sool region, the president was invited and unfortunately, terrorists from Punt land attacked the president while he was on a reconciliation trip to Las Anood. Those are the facts of the case. The leader of KULM IYE is correct about the state of emergency in Sool and the government I believe is working towards resolving this critical issue. The leader of the political party UCID, as if to make confusion worse confounded is embarking on a foreign policy adventure without sanction from the government. This leader's recent comment about factions in the traumatized sisterly country, Somalia which the people of Somaliland hope will be delivered from the war lords that haunt their dreams, intends to make political deals with warlords without sanction from the government. This is irresponsible. The Government of Somaliland and the people of Somaliland want what they have for their brethren in Somalia. Creating or supporting factionalism on a traumatized and warring political landscape is wrong and should not be brought into the realm of local politics in Somaliland. Criticizing Somalia for no reasons at all accept to make political points at home is simple politics and the electorate in Somaliland will see through it! I am also angry at the opposition. I have been known to belong to the opposition for a long time and tirelessly written to them in our local newspaper urging them to put their petty and pathetic divisions aside not even for the interest of the country per say, but to have a united opposition that can govern. Indeed, my disappointment and my resolve to throw my lot with UDUB was motivated by the disgust I felt at the opposition during the municipal elections. The majority of the people in Somaliland - and this is a point that has been forgotten by the entire political establishment and those who comment on politics in Somaliland - voted for the opposition! My party UDUB won just under forty percent of the vote. The rest was won by the opposition. Somali Landers want change, but they will not get change if the leading member of the opposition, the honourable gentleman from the great province of Togdeer and the leading statesman in Somaliland cannot bring together the opposi tion and win the election! It is that simple! What then of the whole country? This issue is a defining moment for politics in Somaliland; it is a shame that the will of the people of Somaliland has been replaced by factionalism, a disease that is the cause of all evil in the opposition. Opposition parties' central and organizing thesis is to replace the government. The opposition in Somaliland can work out a memorandum of understanding in order to present a credible opposition to the government. The interests of democracy is holier to me than my particular political party, the interests of having the will of the people clearly defined in the institutions that govern them is holier to me that any loyalty to a particular party. Without this sense of commitment to democracy and the country, political parties become meaningless syndicates committed only to power rather than a coherent national program. People join political parties to change the country and not dear reader to simply assume power. The opposition in Kenya overcame their petty differences and sat down and hammered a deal and look what the citizens of Kenya have today. The opposition in Somaliland has failed the country, I have not heard of one initiative of talks to explore what should be done about this critical issue. Before the opposition jumps on UDUB it needs first to look itself in the mirror. They will not like what they see! Somaliland needs leaders and political parties that can reach out to the electorate in Somaliland and introduce to a people hungry for new ideas and programs an agenda for change. This agenda of change must first emanate from the political parties themselves, the agenda of change necessarily begins as it were, in the respective political parties. Somaliland needs to be fed and clothed; Somaliland needs self-sufficiency in food; Somaliland needs basic health care for the people; Somaliland needs education for its children; Somaliland needs the orphans of the martyrs to be sent to school in the best schools in the world and not to waste away in orphanages; Somaliland needs politicians to articulate a radical message of bread and democracy so as to lift the people of this country out of the darkness of starvation, ignorance and apathy; Somaliland needs politicians who cannot sleep at night because they are afraid of God' s wrath if they do not do the right thing; Somaliland in a word needs politicians of courage. For this country has produced citizens of courage but not politicians of courage. PS: This essay is committed to the spirit of civil debate on the issues confronting our country. Recent articles that spew hatred and wickedness in the pages of our newspapers and on the internet hurt the public debate. I hope that this intervention will begin a new page of civilized debate on our collective national issues. Long Live Democracy Long Live Somaliland This essay is dedicated to those men and women in the Somali National Movement (SNM) who fell in the battle for Somaliland, and who gave me the freedom to write about my country freely and without fear. May Allah rest their eternal souls in peace. Amiin. A. Mohamed Ali Hashi ‘Dhimbiil’ Ottawa, Ontario 2003-02-27 dallo57us@yahoo.com |
| Somaliland will Elect UDUB! |