WHICH WAY OUT, SOMALILAND?
 



Shame on our dysfunctional political system that has failed time and again to abide by the basic principles of mediation in time crisis. Yesterday our political parties and the government signed on to the proposal of the  inte rnational community without any reservations; today, it is rendezvous with politics of the spleen-public incitement; mass demonstrations; and mob rule. Desperate leaders resort to desperate measures to create an atmosphere of chaos and confusion. May we remind the two opposition leaders that the votes of the capital region sustains their own political survival. The blood of the citizens is sacred; you can not have it both ways. In todays' call for the repetition of what transpired on September, 2009, the Chairmen of the two opposition parties will bear full  responsib ility- be it loss of life or property. You creat the problem, you own the outcome. We can not have two governments operating in the country at the same time.

Look at our parliament. The house of deputies is converted into a rustling arena; periodic eviction notices puts the presidential mansion in serious dispute. Where is the demarcation between public and private property? Running for an elected office is not an automatic ticket to stake a claim on any piece of state property. The current occupant came through the ballot, whereas the claimant demands immediate payment of the overdue rent for the past sixteen months, or else.


THE LOT OF THE DISILLUSIONED POLITICIANS

If our pseudo-politicians are incapable of settling their differences at the negotiating table, then it is up to the traditional leaders to intercede, lis ten to both parties, and at the end prepare the best possible compromise under the circumstance. The role of thetraditional leaders has been part of our culture for centuries and it is highly appreciated. To question the fairness of these leaders is a disgraceful precedent. Setting preconditions and meaningless posturing via the media destroys the essence of the mediation effort and indicates that one party is bargaining in bad faith.

THE TICKING TIME BOMB

Are we hostages of election schizophrenia? The timing or rescheduling presidential elections ignites a sensitive detonator that sets off a series of shock waves intended to derail Somaliland for good. This time , however, the magnitude of the tremors is much higher and it triggered a set of closely intertwined domino effects. A serious power struggle in a simultaneous process of elimination by substitution. This chain reaction, if successful, will change forever the political landscape of Somaliland. First the Chairmen of the House of Representatives, with the tacit support and collaboration of the Chairman of House of Elders[Guurti], have attempted to pass an impeachment bill through the House of Representatives sets.


This sets the stage for the eventual removal of the President and the Vice-President based on the assumption that the opposition has the appropriate documentary le evidence that warrant the proceedings of a high treason case. Once this hurdle is cleared, the Chairman of theHouse of Elders parachutes to the presidency; the Chairman of the House of Representatives becomes the Vice-President; and the First Deputy-Chairman of the House of Representatives takes over the Chairmanship of the lower House.

THE AFTERMATH


This satisfies the oppositions' incessant cries for a Care-taker/Transitional/Coalition government. The support of the opposition parties is predicated on the agreement that in six month's time, fair and free presidential elections, based on the annulled results of the fraudulent voter registration, will take place. The era of re-scheduling election is gone for good. This is a very sweet deal and a win-win situation for all.

Are we heading towards self destruction? Toying with impeachment puts the nation on a virtual stand still. Although the political uncertainty associated with the process is daunting, the impeachment of the President and the Vice-President is incorporated in our Constitution. Those who deem it fit to exercise this option as a short-cut to the presidential mansion have every right to do so provided the proper legal procedures are followed.

THE SOURCE OF THE BICKERING


Unless we seriously re-evaluate our election laws, the endless tug of war between the government, the opposition parties and the National Elections Commission, the very existence of this nation will be in jeopardy. There is a perpetual struggle between survival and self preservation, on the one hand, and the life time dream of self-actualisation on the other. The Presidency is the embodiment of our collective national identity and a testament to our unity and cohesiveness. The current occupant came through the ballot box and the same thing applies to any aspirant. God forbid it! self-actualisation through human blood and violence is very distasteful.

However, the combatants pretend to be oblivious to the cumulative  neg ative impact of their kamikaze politics on the very existence of Somaliland. Locally,mobilising and shutling bus loads of armed unemployed youth to the vicinity of parliament was a reckless attempt that should never happen again. The recent loss of life, the destruction of private and public property, as well as the looting that took place is the sole responsibility of Kulmiye party. The blood of Our major cities

RESPECT FOR LAW AND ORDER


The right to peaceful demonstration is guaranteed under our Constitution and it should be exercised within its legal limits. The encouragement of civil commotion does not constitute an exercise of any political freedom. To demonstrate peacefully, one needs to obtain the permission of the concerned authority with following stipulations:


The date and the time of the demonstration;
Duration and the specific location of the demonstration;
Peaceful dispersal of the participants within the proscribed time;
Written surety against any vandalising, looting, or sabotaging of any public or private property;
Police presence to maintain the law and order.


Once these minimum requirements are met, the government has no valid reason to withhold the necessary permission. However, the aggrieved party has every right to deliver his message through non-violent means within the prescribed limits of the law. Regardless of our consternation, loathing, or vilification of the conduct government in power, and  irrespec tive of the issues under contention, reason and logic should prevail as long as the authority of such a government is constituted through legitimate means.


THE WAY OUT


This nation has been through numerous testing times; yet we have  succe eded in resolving our differences through dialogue and not through  confr o ntation. This has been a unique character of our society that has attracted the admiration of the international community. The ugly events of September 12, 2009 have put a damper on the credibility of Somaliland.
To conduct a fair and a free election, the results of the voter registration should be
re-assessed properly so as to eliminate all the bogus registrants. The current voter list are completely unreliable and can not form the basis of a transparent election. The magnitude of the fraud rendered the utility of the information untenable.

However, if the donor nations are prepared to salvage the voter lists, a new independent party should be tasked to complete project with  speci fic time lines to deliver the result.

Sooner or later, we have to deal the issue of the formation of political associations. The current three political parties should not monopolise the politics of the nation. The sooner we address this problem the better off we are in the long term. The current bickering should stop somewhere. We created the monster and we need to tame it once and for all.



Ahmed Ali Ibrahim Sabeyse
September 25, 2009