13 March, 2010

Rayaale precipitated many problems that could lead the country into anarchy at anytime if he remains in power any longer and it is a grave mistake to vote for him again for another term in office.

Rayaale precipitated many problems that could lead the country into anarchy at anytime if he remains in power any longer and it is a grave mistake to vote for him again for another term in office.

Generally, African leaders rise to power in different ways. Either they get it by Coup D'etat or by free and fair elections. At times, they come through inheritance as in the case of Lethoso. However, mostly they end up in a fight against their own people and become dictators in a short while exception a few. Similarly, the once cherished president of Somaliland, Dahir Rayaale Kaahin, tarnished his good reputation after he became a tyrant an infamous for misrule lately. Well, he precipitated many problems that could lead the country into anarchy at anytime if he remains in power any longer.

Injustice is one of the terrible problems attributed to Rayaale nowadays. Judges and police of Somaliland are all corrupted. For example, the majority of Judges in the entire country are not qualified for the job. Accordingly, Professional conduct is out of hand, and paying a dime or two for bribery, even if you have committed 1st degree murder, could make you in the clear. In another example, if you squatter in one's home or plot of land and claim that it is yours, then its yours and you could have it.

Well, when you hear me say that, you may get surprised and say that is impossible, but there is nothing impossible here. In reality, it happens alot and I will explain to you how – all you have to do is, go to the front yards of government courts. You will find there men playing nine men's Morris (shax) in groups just to pass the time until a customer comes - a customer who could oil their palm nicely for an illicit advantage. These men are the false witnesses. they commit perjury for their daily bread and they are above the law as they are the pals of the Judge.

Once you do so, the penny you give talks – follows this, the pronouncement of the judge that you are free of guilt and once for all you win the case. A third example is that the police always catch thieves, criminals and perpetrators in the act daily. If these wrongdoers bribe the Police on the spot, they get release immediately and never face charges at all. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. Thus, the judges break the law and they are guilty in that, they decree wrongful convictions, false confessions and practice barratry in the course of their kangaroo court rulings daily. Similarly, the Police are felonious on their part as well. As a result, Rayaale is directly or indirectly responsibile of all this mess as long as he is the president of the state. Another problematic issue Rayaale is to blame for is unemployment.

Neither the president nor his Administration has addressed the matter nationwide. Instead, IRIN, an independent news agency released a report about the unemployment rate in Somaliland, at the end of this year. It shows that 80% of the population is unemployed. According to this report, women make up 55% out of this, while the remaining 25% are all men. Only 20% work in government and private sectors. Despite the dimension of the problem, Rayaale and government did nothing tangible to tackle the problem effectively. In addition, the report presented in detail about youth exodus and risks involving death in the high seas on their way to Europe searching for jobs and better life.

Another scenario, worth mentioning is the scale of corruption imputed to Rayaale too. Certainly, there is no doubt that jobbery in all its forms and shapes, be it graft, venality, extortion, kickbacks and embezzlement exist within the circle of incumbents in Somaliland, in one way or the other. For instance, Haatuf press has charged president Rayaale himself for misappropriation of public funds for his personal use, many times.

To proof that to the public, Haatuf press showed on its Front-page pictures of buildings, farms and cars with different plate numbers that he has taken illegally from public money and how it happened. In another incident, Haatuf, published how Siciid Sulub, the most corrupted minister in his cabinet, auctioned government land from Businessmen on behalf of the president. A week later, Rayaale made press conference and confirmed that the Minister was right to do so, as he did not mention either what the government is going to do with money. Suspicion and public mistrust surfaced in the political arena in the wake of this political gaffe, which evinces that Rayaale and his government use public money as a Cash Cow of their own. In addition, Rayaale's record on human rights is the fourth predicament.

Abuse of human rights in Somaliland is rife. There is no freedom of expression at full-scale. Last year Human rights watch reported of three politicians jailed for their views. moreover, the organization raised the case of Maxamad Daahir Cumar, a journalist the police have beaten with a club and seized his camera, while he was busy covering in small-scale riots that happened in Dacarbudhuq last month, a small district adjacent to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. Finally, Rayaale unconstitutionally made a self-defeating decision after giving green light Djibouti army to assume the safety of Ugaas Mustafa from Ciise tribe, who visited Saylac for his coronation. Intermittent shootings was reported at Lawyacado village along the border between the two countries, after the two armies got in loggerhead as to who will undertake the security measures of the Ugas and the region as a whole.

According to the latest reports from Saylac.com, eventually, Somaliland army took over the control, maintained the peace and order, and drove the foreign troops out of the territory without any casualties. As a result of that, the wrong idea of allowing foreign troops to operate inside the country was very risky in the first place. secondly, it is another blunder and the latest Rayaale did against the sovereignty of Somaliland and that of our national pride. In conclusion, Rayaale has done much chaos in the country and the most important ones are: the injustice, the corruption, the high unemployment rate, the pinching of our national pride and the human rights abuse.

Therefore, one can see that Rayaale is incompetent to lead the country in the modern way of politics. As a result, I strongly believe that it is a grave mistake to vote for him again for another term in office.

Khadar Ahmed Ismail

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