UDDAA
and Other Somaliland Diaspora Organisation appeal to the President
and the Vice-President to resign
URURKA DARYEELKA DISTOORKA (UDDAA)
PROMOTION OF THE CONSTITUTION GROUP
Date: 14 September 2009
Appeal to the Somaliland President & Vice-President: Resign so the
nation can get back to its democratic journey
UDDAA and Other Somaliland Diaspora Organisation appeal to the
President and the Vice-President to resign so that the nation can
continue peacefully with its democratisation process.
We have been following, with ever increasing dismay, the delays in
the presidential and local government elections and the continual
constitutional and political crises over the last four years. We are
appalled to see that the reputation of Somaliland as an oasis of
peace and a country built on consensus and compromise slowly being
dismantled. Our democratic journey is plainly off course; citizens
are in our prisons without trials and numerous journalists have been
detained and imprisoned. The judiciary is firmly under the control
of the executive and the legislative has been emasculated by the
executive, so much so that its doors have been literally locked on
the order of the President.
In the last few weeks, the House of Representatives has finally
decided to debate an impeachment motion, but this again escalated to
a position where the House was closed down on the orders of the
President. A promise by the President given to the Elders and
traditional leaders that the Representatives will be allowed to get
back to their premises was not carried out and consequently citizens
incensed by the continued closure of the House were shot at on
Saturday, 12 September. Two died and many were injured.
The Articles of Impeachment at the House of Representatives list
some of the many alleged infringements of the Constitution and the
law committed by the President and the Vice President. We will not
rehearse these, but it is clear to everyone that these allegations
and the recurring political and constitutional crises during the
last few years have set the nation back.
The presidential election has been postponed to an indefinite date.
We are now yet again at another impasse, but this time, with the
already twice extended terms of office of the President and the Vice
President, no further extension is acceptable legally or
politically. Many of us considered these previous extensions as
unconstitutional and the nation will not accept another extension
even if the President manages to get it through the House of Elders.
We urge that the President/Vice President act well before the end of
their extended term on 29 October 2009, and let the nation know of
their resignation as soon as possible so that the constitutional
caretaker President can take over with the sole brief, under Article
89(4) of the Constitution, of holding the presidential elections
within 60 days.
We do not think that all the problems in Somaliland are caused by
the leadership of the Executive, but to paraphrase another
president, the “buck stops” with them. The presidential system of
government we have chosen does not mean that without elections the
incumbent President who has failed to hold elections on time should
forever remain in power – that is dictatorship and not democracy. We
also point out that President Rayaale had ample time - 5 years as
Vice-President and 7 years as President – to shape the future of the
nation and it is time he and the Vice President step aside and allow
the country to get back on its tracks. History will, we believe, be
kinder to both of them if they spare the nation further instability.
Finally:
• We ask all other Somaliland Diaspora Organisations to make the
same appeal to the President and the Vice President, so we can save
Somaliland from further chaos and destabilisation.
• We appeal to the friendly nations to facilitate the temporary
constitutional transfer of power and to assist more boldly in both
the forthcoming elections and in the provision of resources for
capacity building and direct assistance to the Somaliland
Parliament, so that, the latter can, for example, employ a civilian
sergeant- at-arms in charge of the security of its meeting halls and
premises.
• We urge all nations to assist Somaliland financially and
diplomatically and to welcome it finally to the comity of nations so
it can contribute more to the building of democracy, and peace and
to combating of terrorism and piracy in the region.
• We send our condolences to the bereaved families in Hargeisa and
our wishes to the injured. We urge the two Houses to set up as soon
as practicable a joint committee to enquire into events of the last
few days
Somaliland Organisations making this Appeal are:
1. UDDAA – Promotion of the Constitution Group
2. SIRAG
3. Somalilandlaw.com
4. Somaliland American Council
5. East Africa Policy Institute
6. Somaliland Democracy Watch Organization (SDWO)
7. Somaliland Overseas
8. The academic of Science and development
9 . Somaliland France association
10. Somaliland Business Forum
11. Somaliland Freedom of Expression Fund (Article 32)
12. Somaliland Women Diaspora
11. Somaliland Community of Minnesota
URURKA DARYEELKA DISTOORKA (UDDAA) - Promotion of the Constitution
Group - is an independent non-party political voluntary pressure
group consisting of Somalilanders living in the Diaspora who believe
that there is a need to promote and advance the Somaliland
Constitution. Democracy, the rule of law, separation of powers and
fundamental rights and freedoms are the pillars of the Constitution.
UDDAA’s objective is to help articulate the growing need to
challenge the misinterpretation as well as the blatant infringements
of the provisions of the Constitution and to campaign for an
independent judiciary that can assume confidently its proper
constitutional role.
Convenors: Lulu Farah
luluforumuk@yahoo.co.uk
Khadar Ali Gaas somalilander_1@yahoo.co.uk
Adviser: Ibrahim Hashi
Jama
Ibrahim@somalilandlaw.com
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