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Ahmed Caydiid And Cabdi Dhamac, London, aideedf9@hotmail.com
First and foremost, my sincerest gratitude and congratulations go to the ordinary Somalilanders who trekked to the various polling stations to cast their democratic votes. As most said, their vote was more for Somaliland than the contending parties. They believed that their votes constitutes deliberate steps at strengthening the nascent democratic institutions that they have sacrificed to build in spite of un-declared international sanctions. The most glaring outcome of these efforts is the fact that everything that we have achieved so far is purely home grown, a native initiative devoid of external influence.
I would also take this opportunity to extend my admiration to the various political groupings, both in this just concluded presidential election, and the preceding civic elections. Our political parties have shown maturity that transcends their young age; attributes that are expected and at a time missed in relatively older democracies. They have shown their commitment to the national constitutional order and a rare willingness to look beyond parochial interest of party to safeguard our nationhood. The example of the parties that dissolved themselves so that three national parties would remain is commendable. I hope we will also celebrate the outcome of the presidential elections.
Thirdly and most importantly will be how the election results will be handled. The extremely marginal difference between KULMIYE and UDUB in the electoral outcome is a serious test to our resolve in establishing a constitutional democracy. The difference of 80 votes especially when it is in favor of an incumbent candidate calls for extreme caution. This also puts the other constitutional institutions in the spotlight. The Supreme Court will be under careful scrutiny in the event KULMIYE decides to dispute the results. Assuming all the actions that will follow remain under the purview of our constitutional order, then the long-term impact will be further strengthening of the democratic institutions.
Be that as it may, I would like to call upon the victorious party to reflect upon the result and ask itself the reason as to why a substantial number of voters (some can even argue that the total number of voters who opted for the other two parties constitute a majority) opted for the alternative parties. It is easy to dismiss the tallies as reflective of clan preferences, but it would be more fruitful for both UDUB and the nation at large if the ruling party undertakes careful analysis of its performance with the view of increasing its appeal and hence its performance in overall governance of the nation. Serious issues were raised by the other political parties and will continue to be asked. However, it will be more interesting to watch if the ruling party decides to continue with the status quo (which from the electoral outcome is clearly not preferred by the majority) or it will embark with zealous effort toward rejuvenation of its appeal and effectiveness in governance.
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