Tag: Governance

PUNTLAND IS READY FOR 1P1V

WDM EDITORIAL

Based on conversations, debates and discussions in towns, Puntland is ready for democratic elections. There is a general public understanding that the old system of indirect selection has reached the dead-end. Many believe that Puntland will not survive with the repeat of that clan selection process. The salvation lies in the introduction of democratic principles that has no alternative historically in governance.

Current Puntland Administration has no other choice but to accept the reality on the ground and expedite the process of District Council Elections. Failure to meet this challenge will be a colossal miscalculation that will see existential threat to Puntland self-government.

So, let us not waste time in political bickering. Let us move forward full of hope and confidence that better days are ahead of us.

WHY DID SOMALI STATE FAILED?

That question was raised by one of us in a group discussion tonight at teatable in Garowe, Puntland. Everyone expressed his take on that colossal Somali tragedy. The consensus was that Somali state failed due to one man-rule. In other words, the rise of Madax-Ka-Nool is the root cause of Somalia’s collapse. Did we learn anything from this experience?, asked one man. Nothing, responded another. Is there a guarantee that it won’t fail again?, asked 3rd man. No, you won’t get different result from repeating the same experience, volunteered to the debate yet another man.

The conversation was as enlightening as it gets. But what was more exciting was the understanding that since some past and present leaders of the Federal Government and Federal Member States have no capacity or resources to act Siyad Barre, at least this weakness combined with Federal system are deterrent against dictatorship, but for how long? The current problem though lies in leaders of mini-states have created their own enclaves to act as mini-despots in their own right – again one man-rule in a much smaller scale. It means the sum total of the leaders of the Federal Government and FMS amount to a system of despotism in Somalia – an unintended outcome of federalism.

How to come out of this political quagmire? Did you see workshops and training on governance by subject-matter experts in Somalia? But do despots need such transfer of knowledge to the general public and government personnel? Of course not. A vicious cycle sets in which leads to the philosophy hardest question of which was created first, chicken or the egg.

Where does the rule of law fit into all of those? How about independent body of legislators? How does a country call itself democracy in the absence of free and fair elections? We must be all kidding ourselves.

WDM EDITORIAL

TRADITIONAL ELDERS ARE NOW IMPEDIMENTS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE

First and foremost, statehood and governance wasn’t part of their responsibilities. It was necessary option to involve them in the immediate post Civil War Somalia with regards to peacemaking, reconciliation among warring clans, and to help in convening founding congresses for the establishment of Federal Member States. As Somalia moves away from warlordism and factional fightings, their role in politics becomes an obstacle to effective administration and good governance. Now they should be reduced to traditional roles only, urgently removed from their involvement in politics, if Somalia wants to move forward with modern statecraft.

The role of clan elders in this election cycle must be curtailed in order to elect qualified and competent members of parliament.

We could imagine and expect corrupt politicians, but we can’t tolerate corrupt traditional elders because there is no recourse to replace them by impeaching.

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PICTURE OF THE DAY: SOMALI PROVERB

WOMAN STANDING IN SOMALI SOCIETY

  1. Somalia has been always male-dominated society.
  2. Women are still unpreviledged and nearly unrepresented at all levels of decision-making political bodies, but first and foremost in traditional leadership, in particular. There are no women traditional leaders in all Somali clans and regions, and this is the core of the problem in woman standing in Somali society. In a nutshell, a woman has no voice in Somali traditional governance, and this is the major factor as to why women are under-represented politically.
  3. As the Civil War broke out in 1991, and even before that as armed opposition struggle against tyranny of Military Regime started a decade earlier, women and kids had suffered most, on the one hand, and women became the breadwinners of families as men either went to war or fell prey to societal epidemic of qat-chewing addictions and abandoned family responsibilities, on the other hand.
  4. Fledgling federalism in Somalia has restored relative peace to regions and therefore alleviated the pains and suffering of families, empowering women and giving some voice in getting some women and minorities elected to political bodies – still not enough though, and it is a long shot to go to achieve fair play and plane field for all in this country
  5. Attempts to empower women in Somalia by international organizations, local non-state actors and representatives of foreign missions are viewed negatively here by male-dominated Somali society. This negative perception is about harm being done to Somali traditional values on woman belonging to the household rather than becoming a leader in the society. There is a strong pushback from men to maintain the status quo. This is a major obstacle to women empowerment and I believe it will take many generations to change the existing centuries-old societal attitudes and cultural barriers towards gender equality in Somalia.

To achieve parity with men and claim their Allah-given human and civic rights, Somali women should challenge their fathers, husbands, sons, brothers and men colleagues why they aren’t being recognized as equal partners.

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