Day: October 26, 2024

CHILDISH LEADERS OF FGS

USA presidential women candidate Kamala Harris, denouncing her rival, Donald Trump, said, “he is an unserious person, but the consequences of him being elected potentially is serious.”  She meant he was unfit to be president, for he was childishly dangerous. Similarly, one could say that the leaders of the Federal Government of Somalia are weaklings and childish in behaviour and governance. To display their stupidity, they have recently been showcasing an old makeshift Somali map produced and used by private foreign persons and entities for their own interests in Somalia’s petroleum explorations Puntland Government and Hirshabelle State (not in existence when this map was falsely produced) spokespersons have been fuming about this “Past and Copy” map ignorantly and carelessly displayed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who didn’t bother to double-check his aides’poor job and irresponsibility involved in the controversy.

They say poor is the nation looking for a hero.

The Economist this weekend. A special edition on innovation

October 26th 2024

Simon Cox
China economics editor

In 2007 I made my first trip to China to report on its vast technological ambitions. It was a daunting task. Even some of the country’s older innovations defeated me. In Shanghai, I made the classic mistake of biting too greedily into a soup dumpling, squirting warm juice across the table.

A year earlier China’s government had unveiled a 15-year plan to make the country an “innovation-oriented society” by 2020. In many ways it has succeeded. China now ranks 11th on the Global Innovation Index, an amalgam of 78 indicators published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, far higher than you would expect for a middle-income economy. You can see where your own country stands here. The two most innovative countries may surprise you.

China has hit some bumps along the way. Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba whom I interviewed in 2007, lost favour with China’s leaders; WuXi AppTec, a pharmaceutical firm I visited on the same trip, has been accused of mishandling American intellectual property; and Suntech, a renewable-energy firm I also visited, was ruined in 2013 by a glut of solar panels. At least Shanghai’s dumplings are as enticing as ever.

[Courtesy: The Economist].

WHERE IS THE QUESTION PERIOD IN PUNTLAND PARLIAMENT? ARE THEY COMFORTABLE BEING PERPETUALLY RUBBER-STAMPED LIKE THEIR COUNTER-PARTS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL SOMALIA?

WDM EDITORIAL

Puntland House of Representatives is currently holding its 55th Session. Among the dignitaries and guests in attendance are Puntland State MPs in the Federal Parliament in Mogadishu, South-Central Somalia. It is an important session, given the fact that Somalia is at crossroads between a failed state again and the survival of the Federal System Somalis agreed upon,  following the Civil War. We will be watching whether they can meet the challenges ahead.

In the meantime, let us remind ourselves that the main function of any parliament is government budget allocations and approval. This involves scrutiny, approval, and follow-up of expenditures consistent with budget allocations. It involves investigations of abuses and mismanagement of this budget. It ensures appropriate and competent financial personnel are appointed by an independent commission. It checks out that the government must have independent auditors and accountants in the financial system, starting with the Auditor-General and Chief Accountant. Barring major economic and natural calamities, the government budget must meet with approved allocations. If not, questions must be raised to expose any malpractices. Critical public services, public law and order, and government operations must be maintained as sine qua non for the state’s existence and survival.

Parliament committees must be active and engaging to carry out their duties as functioning representatives of the people. Government officials and executives, including the State President can be summoned anytime to answer parliament questions in the people’s interest, consistent with the principles of checks and balances of power. These legislative duties should be ongoing as a routine of parliament function. Without this, we can’t have an independent parliament. A dangerous situation develops when the Executive Branch unconstitutionally takes all power from the other two branches of the government, producing a rubber-stamped House of Representatives. When the State President becomes too powerful and unresponsive to an independent parliament, it leads to a government system called “Madax-ka-Nool” in Puntland State – a Somali term coined by the people of Puntland State many years ago, but now used widely throughout Somalia.

We wish them successful session.

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Postscript. Puntlanders don’t realise that the State President has two functions – he is the Head of State and he is Head of Government (Prime Minister). As Head of Government, he is subject to scrutiny by the LEGISLATIVE like any other minister in the government.

MUSIC: THE PEOPLE OF PUNTLAND STATE