By Farah Ali Jama, Ottawa, Canada.

The House of Representatives must take the leading position and assume the role of being the vanguard to defend and advance the cause, independence, and existence of Somaliland. In addition, it must be at the forefront to nurture and enhance our nascent democracy, to facilitate good governance and rule of law, to safeguard the civil liberties and Human Rights, and to spearhead the general political, economic, and social development of the citizenry and the state at all costs.

For these reasons, it is a high time that the House of Representatives to get its act together and expedite the debate on Public Law No. 21 and the ad hoc National Security Committees, which have been used time and again to undermine the Constitution and the Laws of the Land, to erode the roles of the constitutional courts, and to cripple the function and independence of Judiciary Branch in general. In fact, the Public Law No. 21 is Public Enemy No. 1 and the ad hoc National Security Committees are no different from the Siyad Barre’s mobile “National Security Court” (“Maxkamadda Badbaadada”), and they are in reality nothing, other than, a tool for dictatorship and repression by tin pot dictators.

Although the previous unelected House of Representatives had indefinitely suspended the use of this unconstitutional law, and that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court had on numerous occasions hinted on its illegality and his opposition to its continued use, this thickheaded administration continues to use it in an unfettered manner. And the real reasons behind the unconstrained use of this illegitimate law are:

• To undermine the constitution, the role of the courts, and the laws of the land.
• To undermine democracy, multiparty system, good governance and the rule of law, the constitution, and free market economy.
• To undermine the function and independence of the Legislative and Judiciary Branches of government.
• To intimidate the opposition parties and their leaders.
• To acquire dictatorial and tyrannical powers.
• To perpetuate an environment of constant arrogance, abuse of power, corruption, mismanagement, embezzlement of public funds, and misappropriation of public funds.
• To create a situation of general uncertainty and instability in the country.
• To violate the civil rights and Human Rights of the citizenry.
• To silence voices of dissent and public protests, and in a thuggish manner dub its opposition whenever it is challenge or criticized as being “Enemy Agents”, Anti-state elements”, “anti-peace hooligans”, “Traitors”, “Treasonous”, etc.

Whatever the case, there is no doubt that deep down the hearts and minds of the opposition parties and leaders, the civil society organizations, and the general public particularly those in the Diasporas are fed up with the recurrent criticism and condemnation of this rickety administration whenever it uses the unconstitutional Public Law No. 21 and the ad hoc National Security Committees to violate the civil liberties and Human Rights of the citizenry.

So why not act now and repeal this absurd law that is clearly an affront to our budding democracy, constitution and laws of the land, and spare the people and the country the anguish and uncertainties emanating from the ongoing threats, violations of civil liberties and Human Rights, and the enormous grief that is being inflicted on the citizenry by this callous, corrupt, and inept administration since it came to power? Why should the opposition parties and the citizenry particularly those in the Diasporas be put into a state of constant vigilance and be left alone, each time, to take to task this runaway administration whenever it breaks the law or obstructs justice or violates the civil and human rights of the citizenry?

Overall, there is no doubt that repealing this law will defang and have a sobering effect on this rickety administration. In addition, repealing this law will certainly force the administration to moderate its current behavior and attitude, and pave the way for a healthy political, economic, and social dispensation in the country.

Therefore, it is incumbent on the House of Representatives to expedite the debate on Public Law No. 21 and the ad hoc National Security Committees and nip in the bud the eradication of the dictatorial tendencies of this administration or future administrations. It is time to put up and repeal this unconstitutional law once and for all or to shut up.