We need a leader who heals the nation, not one who rubs salt into their wounds

I am very proud to say that the Somaliland democracy model was a promising and an encou raging sign for all African states
By: Eng/Architect Hussein Adan Igeh (Hussein Deyr) {UK & The Netherlands}

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The people of Somaliland are accustomed to the knee-jerk reactions of President Dahir  Riy ale Kahin whenever a fellow Somalilander tentatively points out his mistakes or tries to give him well-intended advice for the sake of common interest. He interprets this as an attack directed on him to damage his reputation, name and fame. The President is lacking in self-confidence, tact, vision and initiative, leadership quality, will-power and belief. He is creating problems after problems without consideration of the rule of law, the public interest and democratic principles which are the cornerstone of the Constitutional State of Somaliland.
However, electing him again as the President of Somaliland Republic would be as if a  pyrom aniac man were to be supplied with a large quantity of matches and allowed to roam free in a paraffin plant!!

Invaluable efforts

I am very proud to say that the Somaliland democracy model was a promising and an  encou raging sign for all African states, which could lead that Africa makes overtures to the right direction. Where once a reasonably democratic election in Africa might have been hailed as a curiosity destined to end in conflict or coups Somaliland has incontestably proved that  su ch pessimism seems misplaced because Somaliland’s democracy is growing from native  gras sroots rather than being imposed from outside or being imposed by the gun. Somaliland’s case was unique one; it was the region’s youngest and good functioning democracy.

Somaliland has beyond every doubt demonstrated throughout its democratic achievements and sustained stability a belief in constructive engagement in international issues for peace and security development. Somalilanders understand that each nation and culture is  differe nt and, that democracy won’t look the same everywhere.

In spite of all atrocities and all the brutal acts that the population of Somaliland has  suffer ed at the hands of the former regime of Somalia, they succeeded to provide themselves a peaceful and congenial environment in which the country’s inhabitants can again resume a normal life and live side by side peacefully and in harmony. Somalilander’s have been  succe ssfully occupied in rebuilding their destroyed country, consolidating its democracy process through free and fair elections for the local government councils, the national parliament as well as for the presidency in keeping with the requirement of Somaliland’s constitution and rule of law as well as the international accepted standards.

We need a leader who heals the nation, not one who rubs salt into their wounds. In my opini on, the present political cynicism in Somaliland turns the potential voters away from actively political engagement. The government of Somaliland is lacking of strategic abilities and a clear policy agenda. There are so many ways of getting involving the mainstream of the society into politics and achieving social objectives. The President of the Republic must be a man of vision, a man of purpose who is determined to follow his will-power and belief. We need a leader with strong convictions whose tend not to change despite the challenges and obstacles he might faces. What we need is: a leader of the people, by the people and for the people.

The noble people of Somaliland are expecting that the leader of the nation should  demonstr ate by his deeds, words and actions that he is a nation builder, not destroyed; a true  demo crat, not an autocrat with unlimited power, active not passive. We need a leader who is  dri ven by fairness, compassion, devotion to duty, social justice and equality consistently  appli ed to all community levels, not only to kith and kin or special inner circle interest groups.

For many years the people of Somaliland were subjected to a brutal oppression and a  syste matically ethnic cleansing campaign at the hands of the former cruel dictatorial regime and its ruthless cohorts. Whenever they reflect on these atrocities, it is still burning into their hearts & minds as the model for the highest degree of terror against the humanity.

Knowing these terrible historical facts, the leader of our nation should be one who is acutely aware of the historical background of his people, one who takes heed of the mistakes of the past, learns the lessons and then acts on them. We need a leader who heals the nation, not one who rubs salt into their wounds.

In some way Mr. Dahir Riyale Kahin started out in the most propitious political  circumstan ces. In April 2003, against all expectations, he won the first democratic presidential election ever held in Somaliland, beating his major opponent; nota-bene; a seasoned politician and one of the most distinguished public figure, a nation hero who led the freedom fighters  resi stance movement. The people of Somaliland dumfounded their antagonists by electing Mr. Riyale as a leader and they silenced forever all the pessimistic misconceptions propagated by Somaliland’s enemies that the predominant clan would never allow to anyone outside th eir clan to become the President of the Republic of Somaliland.

So Mr. Riyale became the first President freely and ‘fairly’ elected by the people of  Somali land. He has been given a full mandate to serve the nation and the national interest in the first place, and to act and operate according to the rule of low.

The people of Somaliland had given the President the political capital and the legislative  me ans to do things better. His success and achievements should be for the Somaliland’s people to judge. Off course responsibility entails accountability, that means that the President will be more accountable to the public and the people of Somaliland will hold him accountable for all his actions, deeds and policies as well as the consequences of them. It depends entirely on the President how he goes into the history and the way in which he will be remembered and recorded. After all, he is the one who will reap the seeds he sowed.

To all intents and purposes Mr. Riyale has demonstrated that he is not more than a tribal  fi gure driven by clannish sentiments and political favouritism. He failed to show that he has a collective leadership quality and he can work with a range of people from different political and social background. Restoring trust and belief in political system, in government as well as the ruling party will be not easy. After the experience of the past 7 years, winning back people’s confidence will not be easy game for Mr. Riyale.