Hundred lost days and hundred broken promises
26th June 2010 was an
important day for the people Somaliland it was the
second presidential elect ion for one man one vote since
Somaliland proclaimed its lost independence which also
coincided with the independence day of 1960. This day
revives moral and self relays of people and the regret
of lo st freedom on 1st July 1960 faded away. It
was not matter which political party will win the
election, but the most important was that people to
decide their votes and choose their future president, de
mocracy, peace and political stability of the country.
This election and the manner it was conducted have
connected Somaliland to the international com
munity. People casted their votes and Kulmiye party won
the election with joyful and congratulatio ns both
internal and external. The most joyful of this victory
was that our hero, freedom leader Ahm ed Mohamed
Mohamoud became the president. He deserved it. We know
our president is an elderly man with a full of
experience and people are expected better running of the
country. What seems to me very strange was timing of
government set up which took a long time and is not
finished yet and many factors which one should take in
to consideration have not been done well.
What is next, during the election campaign and eight
years as an opposition party, kulmiye had slo gan
words of a change and hundred other promises therefore
people gave their votes. We know th at change and
all promises cannot fulfill over night, so one should
not criticize that for the governm ent has not
fulfill all its promises these hundred days in office,
but people want to see a signal of ef fectiveness
, constructive plans and decision making. Unfortunately
it reveals to be the opposite.
I may name a few things that seem stranger. The
government has spent much of its time firing the civil
servants who have worked for the country in many
difficult years and sometimes without earni ng any
salary. It is injustice firing the ordinary
administrates without a good reason and fill the
vaca nt positions just known people while they promised
justice and rule of law. Then the every decisions made
was cancelled after a short time without and any
implementation and they were many, but we can take just
a few examples.
The Berbera harbor, ambassador to Ethiopia, elderly men
whom were appointed problem solving in t he
eastern regions of country, auditory of national bank
manager and other officials, emergency co mmittee,
and even transfer of army officer all these and many
other are the decision government st arted and had
a difficulty to stick its plans. The
Berbera harbor which is
most important of country’s economy resource took a long
time to decide where it should be administered and after
several digr eetoes from and back, at last the
president put under his control as it was before, but
when Kulmiye party was opposition had always protested
it and promised for change.
We don’t to see any sign of positive change but setbacks
of administration, because the people who are brain and
mussels of running the country have been fired and it
seems that is a Kulmiye’s hidden agenda. People are
still waiting to see if any and only one of Kulmiye
party’s promises fulfill in hundr ed days at
office. If we look to foreign policy of our new
government, national security, trade and w orkers
salary, foreign policy is almost collapsed and the
representatives in many country’s or to say ambassadors
resigned their positions because the government has
failed to reorganized and establi shed a new foreigner
policy and its farm work. The earlier government first
priority for foreign policy was recognition, no one talk
about today, and the foreigner department become a play
ground for g reen boys.
The national security, when there are so many failures
and mistakes happened in national security s ince
Udub government left the
power, all Somalilanders where ever they live have
widely discussions and questions way national security
loses its quality and responsibility. The most anxious
are people who live in Somaliland and built peace and
stability in their country for last 20 years.
The most recently and disastrous was the results from
the committee that the president appointed to eastern
regions of Sool and Buuhodle conflict, has failed to
understanding what negotiation and ideas to presented to
the clan chiefs. On one hand it looks if the points they
said were agreed with the chief are peace agreement on
the other hand what they agreed are demands from clan
chief but no any conditoins from the government
ministers even to disarm the militia so they no agenda
to put into negotiation which can guarantee a real ever
lasting peace. One can ask what kind of negotiation was
it.
Was it between to clans or between Puntland and
Somaliland or Somaliland government and its peo
ple. No doubt it was between Somaliland government’s
representative and reactionary group. The k ey and
crucial point to open talks with the militia was that
they are admit they part of Somaliland an d lay
down the weapon and they can demand their rights.
Kulmiye party had a long struggle to sit presidential
chair, they sit, got peoples trust and congratula
tions, but they already lost peoples support less than
hundred days. The prove is firing 130 out of 180 nursing
students from the school bitten and arresting them with
the journalists who wanted to report to the media. Isn’t
that remind our people the Siyad Barre’s time, sure it
reminds us and peo ple will get tougher. The very
crucial question here is; can Kulmiye run the country
five years to co me when they already lost trust of the
people and confronted with voice of the people.
I wish the best for Somaliland
|