In the aftermath of our first real taste of democracy, which has been denied to us for so long, we all hope and pray that our first elected administration serves us well. However I am concerned that our first fully democratic administration may have already forgotten the single most important principle in a democracy: that good governance is based on public support and confidence.

Indeed the unnecessary delay in the parliamentary elections does nothing to further public confidence. The parliamentary elections will give us the opportunity to utilize the new breed of young, educated and talented professional Somalilanders. For further evidence of this new professional spirit of the Somaliland public, one only needs to recall that it was they who preserved the peace during hard times. Also through their entrepreneurial spirit they have made this country what it is today. Where there was dereliction and destruction at the time of liberation, there are new business venture and building developments today. Shops are full of goods, from all corners of the globe. New specialized schools have opened up on almost all street corners of Hargeisa. Again all of these remarkable achievements have been achieved as a result of the hard work and dedication of our great Somaliland public.

Another strong concern of mine is the state of our judiciary. In order to preserve its independence, which is crucial, I believe a number of reforms need to be carried out to ensure that we have a modern, transparent, and independent legal branch. I was extremely pleased to hear about the hundreds of recruits who recently volunteered for service within our law enforcements agencies. Again, this shows the great national sprit of our people. But as with the judiciary, reforms are needed also within the police. Sufficient training and resources must as a matter of urgency be channeled towards our law enforcement agencies. Also I believe it is high time for a review to be conducted into the remuneration of our brave law enforcement officers.

Finally, having been informed by a reliable source that our national port of Berbera requires urgent repairs, I was shocked to learn that no funds had been set-aside for that purpose. This is despite the fact that the port of Berbera is our link to the outside world and a source of huge income for our government. It is quite obvious that the current operational structure of the port has failed, and as a matter of our survival, urge full public debate on the matter. There are a number of options that we can explore; each has their own merits, such as appointing a board of directors to manage the port, turning the port management over to the local government, or as in the case of Dubai and Djibouti tendering the management out to a private company to assure revenue maximization and the smooth running of the port.

Hassan Aw Liban, Hargeisa, Somaliland.

 

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