Is Somaliland Heading To Where The Wind Of Change Is Shifting To?

If you want to know where Somaliland country is heading to, check out things such as the Colonel’s problem solving skills and the long standing question of whether the legislative body, the municipal concillors and the Guurti are open and receptive to the needs, demands and requirements of their people – which means what these institutions tend to do for the nation.

Before commenting on above matters one must understand the generalisation that to do less is to be less than fully responsible for matters that are of critical importance to a country’s national interests. That is basically one of reasons that causes social problems to start.

Problems are at the center of what many people do at work every day. Whether one is  solving a problem for himself or for someone else, supporting those who are solving problems, or discovering new problems to solve, the problems we all face can be large or small, simple or complex, and easy or difficult. Of course the magnitude of problems has never been a problem. It is the way we use to solve the problems that has been a problem.

The questions to ask about our country’s problems are therefore: How Somaliland established institutions, the executive body, the legislative body, the municpal councillors, and the Guurti, have been dealing with the country’s social, economic and political problems? How have they been  dealing with poverty? How have they been addressing unemployment? What has been happening to inequality and corruption? Has there been any attempt by Somaliland established institutions to intellectualise and clean the system that exists in Somaliland to correct what intentionally went wrong? If all these have declined from high levels, then beyond doubt there has been a period of potential progress.

Here, then, is the dilemma that demands answers: Why Colonel Muse Biixi promises what he cannot deliver? Why he issues presidential degrees that dismiss each other on a regular basis? Doesn’t this mean that the Colonel lacks critical problem solving skills? Why the Colonel didn’t bring those ministers from previous Kulmiye Adminstration who stole public wealth to the book if he himself is not an accomplice in the public property theft? Why did he let these criminals and crooks go unpunished if he himself is not willingly tending to corrupt the nation’s meagre resources?

The first and most important thing that is required from a president is to display and demonstrate his political strategy on news shows, tv shows, and radio shows and expel his own talking points onto the public. The second most important job of a President is to listen to people and understand their listening points and problems. The third most important job a president must do is to correct all the mistakes committed by the previous governments.

Frankly speaking the Colonel has not come up with any of these edifying approaches. Instead Muse Biixi just came up with statements confirming that there are still wounds to be healed without offering the hint to heal. He didn’t even give critical thinking skills to the problems that the people complained about. Who is better than the people, to inform our public servants on issues?  A president who cannot offer solutions to problems will fail, no matter how well intentioned.

Great leaders lead their nations by example. Who will our children emulate if all those who represent Somaliland citizens have no attitude and intellect to set the example? Who will our children follow their steps when all public figures and politicians are only recruited into tribalism and tendency of public property theft and nothing else? What ideals and ideology will our young generation adapt in future other than that of corruption and cronyism when Somaliland politicians, the legislative body, the municipal concillors, the officials and the Guurti, are all cash-oriented and not caused-oriented? Why Somaliland parliament didn’t and don’t check and challenge the government’s job? If the parliament doesn’t check and challenge government performance, who else will have the right to do it? Why both legislative body and the Guurti are idle and inactive? Where did the Guurti derive its law of succession whenever a member of the Guurti passes away and the need to occupay the position arises? What kind of constitutional democracy that could justify this authoritarian rule? All cases considered, aren’t these institutions a real liability to the nation?

The dismissal of the recent corruption report that has been levelled at some former mimisters by the parliament without any viable justification is the easiest way for critics to call into question of the credibility of all Somaliland institutions.

Why the corruption report did not go through legal procedures? The simpe answer is that a peanut butter was put beneath the speaker’s desk. The difficult answer is there have been instructions and intervention from the executive body. The element that is missing from the scene is peoples’ participation in the systems that exists.

If Somaliland people are clean; why is Somaliland dirty? What is that selfish gene that impels a housewife to take dirt from her home and dump it outside, as if her street belongs to some other alien society? Why is garbage an indelible part of our image? Why are municipal councillors who permit garbage to foster in all  Somalilannd cities often seek re-election? Where does the tax collected from the citizens go?

Nothing kills human progress quicker than the policies and plans that are not controlled and governed by national interests. This tragedy usually happens when a shared reality in all values is not visible in a state across the board, in public and private sectors; in the lifestyle of all walks and the elasticity of democracy.

Democracy was and is politics. But the people who willingly and wisely embrace democracy make politics grow. Politics makes sense when  it contributes to human development.

It surely cannot be anyone’s case that through some twirl of a magic wand, Somaliland should  suddenly become free from all ills.  Of course it will not be easy. Nothing is easy in governance, but more is possible than we imagine if only we learn to believe in ourselves

Political democracy demands both tolerance and readiness to listen to the opinions of each other. Having a different opinion does not mean disloyalty to the President or the government.

At the moment things are very much up in the air in Somaliland. The nation is in confusion. The captain and his crew are unable to set  the sail of boat that carries all Somalilanders to where the wind of change is shifting to.

Of course setting the sail of the boat to the right direction requires critical thinking skills that are free from emotions, envy, enmity, ignorance, arrogance, biases and prejudices.

The only way national confidence and trust among the people could be reconstructed is when power and resources of Somaliland are equally distributed. History shows that large social inequalities always destroy a country.

By: Jama Falaag

       Hargeisa, Somaliland.