By Ibrahim Adam Ghalib - Borama Awdal region.
Somaliland is facing the worst crisis today. The present in efficient administration is the cause of this crisis. One constant feature that you will notice immediately in this adminstration is the lack of political will and guts to move things forward. Effective leadership is vital ingredient in solving problems that arise. An administration cannot properly represent people unless they have confidence in it and have access to its decision structures. The policy of wait and see cannot take the country of this serious political turmoil.
Tle present leadership failed to win the confidence of the political stake holders-the political parties, the bicameral parliament and the people represented by the civic societies. These institutions have been treated as enemies rather than partners to be trusted and the people that have the strongest stake do not understand their role that they retain the ultimate decision making power since periodic elections allow them to reject representatives that do not carry out their wishes.The present administration uses the house of elders that do not represent the people because they didnot come on a popular vote.
The meagre resources of the country is being used as kick backs to win their votes. These people are voting for the adminstration when they receive money only but they themselves do not trust the administration. The best way to cut this chain is to make the voting a secret ballot. In here it will be difficult to know who voted for who and the corruption can be minimized. The people are watching the guurti that is not seeing the poor people's wishes and satisfying only their needs by allowing the present administration that is representing the people today to rule the country on an iron fist.
Establishing public institutions and the rule of law can only help restore ethnic conflict that is reigning. A consenual approach is the best way to address the political and socio-economic issues necessary for peace. Frustration is building up and chaos is only a heart beat away now and can explode at any time. Politicisation of the public service caused by organized clan pressures by the administration created disorder thus permitting those in control to capture the resources for their ouwn ends and build their power at the expense of the poor people. This chain cannot continue for ever and there will be one day that they will leave office. They will be asked from where they have brought the wealth in which they have build the palaces that is apprent in all the big cities of somaliland.
The country have been divided into cantones by giving districts and regions to every tribe without assessing if these districts and regions can fulfill the criteria that a region or district is formulated. Governors and district commissioners have been appointed and have been give luxurious cars without the approval of the parliament. These offices are only for Udub the ruling party to campaign for this administration.The administration do not care any body but are interested to continue to rule the country.
Corruption reached a point of no return. This is widely excercised by low level of government. How can junior personnel take bribes at the presence of their seniors if not being encouraged by the people at the helm. I am putting this forward without reservation and any body that says this is not true is welcomed to prove otherwise. I am in side the country and am writing the reality on the ground. The people that write democracy in somaliland is advancing is not telling the truth but mere slogans.
Now the voter registration have been derailled. This is the only viable program that ever been presented in this country to get free and fair elections. The way the program is handled felt short of the criteria of one man one vote. The government acted alone in choosing the commission that mishandled the voter registration.
The government failed to bring all stake holders at the round table to select together the commission that will lead the electoral process. The president nominated 3 members on tribal bases and played a role in nominating the other two that the house of elders selected. An equal employment opportunity have not been observed and the members were selected on random without judging whether they can fill this risky job.
Any way they have not been given a support to fill their space but the government dispatched all the officious ministers and the governors of the regions have been instructed to defy the rules of the registration and instruct the people in the registrations polls to register any body. The governors were masterminding this irregularties. The commission have been pressured and not given time to breath and this caused the blunder that have been excercised that cannot be solved.
Now we are in a political crisis. The president and the vice president have been given another term of six months. This does not represent the opinion poll of the country. The administration have used everything to stop the people that would have made their word peacefully and they are happy to sit on the chair without the mandate of the people.
This I am sure will give popularity to the opposition parties and they will get a time to unseat them on a popular vote.
The media that would have played an important rule is not there. There is no investigative journalism in this country. The daily news papers, the television and the radio is only in Hargeisa.This media is divided on tribal bases and cannot comment on the iregularities of the voter registration. They suffer capacity weaknesses and lack of financial resources. Can you believe they cannot comment on those people that speak slogans on televisions in Hargeisa. They only comment on Awdal region.
Finallly I want to ask my fellow citizens to be patient and to say their word in the ballot box.It is not possible to derail the fragile peace that we have restored and sustained.
Ibrahim Adam Ghalib
Kaalib33@hotmail.com
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