The political standoff in the unrecognized de-facto republic of Somaliland, is a critical development that is worth an international close watch.
The current political standoff if well analyzed is not of a recent emergent, but have been gradually building up since the coming to power of the current ruling regime . It is unquestionably clear from the way the current regime has shattered the economic progress of this tiny entity . They simply imposed a stifling tax policy over the once vibrant free market. The intentional strategy eventually turned the once sprawling port of Berbera into a ghost port town.
In its relative peaceful years compared to the southern parts of the former Somali republic. Somaliland have initially been on a positive and fast transitional path, towards political and socio-economic development.
Many would ask why would an administration stifle its own economic well being . Well this can be well explained by an article written about Somaliland, by a visiting American pentagon official to Somaliland in April 2003. (and I' Quote some part) "It does not threaten its neighbors, except through competitive trade and market practices. The free trade environment in tiny Somaliland has indeed caused complaint by nearby statist entities of Ethiopia, Djibouti and to a lesser extent Eritrea http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig3/kwiatkowski2.html. This was shortly before the current regime came to power.
The incumbent executive head was by then a vice president .He came to power after a sudden death of the previous head of state in august, 2003. The once complaining neighboring statist state did not waste the opportunity of negotiating with this product of accident regime, embarking on a process of undermining Somaliland progress from within.
Executing the deal, for the past seven years the current regime have been busy on various well orchestrated strategies of slowly suffocating the principal Somaliland fundamental purpose , which is to attain international recognition as an independent sovereign state.
In doing for the past seven years, this the regime has been investing on creating a brutal police and intelligent forces, to forcefully silence the voices of democracy. A structural force reminiscent to the once notorious Somali red berets, and the National intelligence services (NSS) in which the current president and some of his close henchmen passed as decorated officers .This is evident from the recent police brutal force against non provoking peaceful demonstrators in the capital Hargeysa.
This regime ganged up with the current member of the sitting House of Elders under a quid pro quo terms, to unconstitutionally extending each other's terms. The House of elder took their extension in lump sum of four years in 2006, and with an irrelevant reference and use of the constitution, the elders have extended the president's term more than thrice. one took place in may 2008http://www.somalil3andtimes.net/sl/2008/329/1.shtml another one just six months ago,http://www.somalilandglobe.com/342/guurti-move-jeopardizes-return-to-democracy-in-somaliland/ and one more is being formulated as we speak.
This time around the standoff has turned into such a convoluted power scramble with an injection of intricate wave of clannish undertones in the intent of fully deviating from the constitution basis ,and total disregard to all past agreements. The system is set to go around in a circle and is overshadowed with conceited tribal process .If finally things ends in such a turn, then the eighteen years toils of democratic growth would all be nothing but a waste.
before coming to a conclusion ,let me pose two simple questions to all that are for pro-presidential term extension .
1. What are the possibilities of elections ever happening if the incumbent regime is always assured of farther extensions?
2. Secondly the current regime have proven that it can easily deploy the law enforcement against its equal branch of government, after it brought to a halt parliamentary procession for days, and farther brutally suppressed peoples sentiments . In lieu of all this, what would restrain this loose and unchecked regime from using same tactics to disrupt or rig the unforeseen elections?
It seems that the whole project has now come to a moment of truth . To those that are genuine about Somaliland progress and success, the situation is between a rock and a hard place.
Genuine Somalilanders need to cautiously tread on this orchestrated trap with vigilant care. The opposition have the ability of putting a check on this conspiracies. Conditionally they momentarily put aside their party differences and power thirst. They need to concentrate on one common goal and cooperate with the genuine civil society, elders and not forgetting friends of Somaliland all over the globe.
All in all Somaliland must be saved from tyranny and collapse, which would eventually lead to an additional perpetual chaos in the region.
Abdirahman Farah (Dhunjoog)
aweis002@umn.edu
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