By Ibrahim Adam Ghalib, Borama, Awdal

After the collapse of the Somali state, the civic society groups in Somaliland organized meetings and conferences inside Somaliland. Clan elders, religious leaders, non governmental organizations volunteered their services without external support or assistance. They managed to achieve peace and stability in the country.

This demonstrates the possibility for the civic societies to overcome clan boundaries, and they do not operate on an imported ideology but are initiated locally for - the benefit of their people. The people who voted the parliament and the president to office are stronger than any other institution and if they fill their political space can pressure the government to make the required political socio-economic reforms. The restoration of peace in Somaliland was the outcome of Burao and Borama conferences in 1991 and 1993 respectively.

The clan factions became increasingly weak and were unable to command the allegiance of the people. This situation has offered an opportunity to engage in dialogue led by the traditional elders, religious leaders and intellectuals to find lasting peace and stability in Somaliland. Women have been encouraged by the civic societies to play an important role in running net works, although they were and still are kept apolitical on clan cultural prohibitions by the administration.

The traditional elders, religious leaders and the intellectuals who met in Borama 1993 achieved positive results. They agreed to consolidate and sustain the hard won peace and stability. A new government was elected and the handover and takeover procedure was successful during this difficult time. The new administration was given a mandate to draw a democratic constitution for the country. As a result of this, the guurti, the parliament, the judicial and the executive was formed on clan bases to prepare for the country a democratic elected houses and the democratic process was born in Borama.

The people who initiated and supervised to share power peacefully in the volatile period and accepted also the mistakes of the transitional period is still here and will never accept to derail the hard won peace and stability again. The people are matured to compel this incompetent administration to change course in a peaceful manner. It is not true that if a drastic reform is made the people will not accept. This is beneficial to the few people who are benefiting and if they are out posted and the meager resources of the country will be equally regulated.

A democratic constitution was established for Somaliland that divides the power into legislative, executive and judicial (parliament, council of ministers and judiciary)

I want to signal and give a clear picture to the non-governmental organizations in the country who are kept apolitical that the constitution of Somaliland guarantees freedom of assembly, expression, association, the right to equality and the right to elect and be elected etc. Freedom of association refers the right of the people to organize or join any organization and to participate politically, economically and socially and play an active role in the affairs of the country. The non-governmental organizations so far failed to organize themselves and fill their space. The clout of these organizations representing the people is the most important lobby and pressure that can compel the government to make reforms in the country immediately.

The present administration restricted these organizations to participate in the politics of their country and so far their role is only developmental and humanitarian activities. The main feature of a democratic society is the openness of its political and socio-economic system which allows active participation of the people in the decision making of their country. The present administration indirectly prohibits these rights and there presence is only to show the international community that the democratic institutions are in place but the opposite is true. This denotes the undemocratic nature of the political socio-economic spectrum of Somaliland. This brought corruption to reach an alarming stage and all decisions are not made on consensus. This created and led the country to be in a political crisis every time. So far all efforts and voices failed to put the country in the right track.

The democratic process began with the local elections and the election of the president and the parliament soon followed. The parliamentary election was not at all fair and the people who were deprived of their rights still accepted the results. I am sure if the administration shows guts to make reforms which can change the life style of the people can be accepted with applause. This will empower the people and safe the country from the few politicians who are getting richer every day.

The local councils are the most corrupt administrations in the country. This is not because the elected councils or other working force are bad but the government fiddles in their affairs. These days training is under way for all local council officials for good administration skills and transparency but unless the demand of the work force is addressed regarding their salaries the government is bluffing itself to spend money for something that cannot be sustained. To make these councils a viable institutions is to downsize the working force and enough salaries be paid to the rest according to the economic standards of the country. It is not possible to get honest people unless they get good salaries that can be enough to live in. The government will only monitor and guide them down the road then and only then these councils can play and effective role both in development and the democratization process.

The opposition political parties have been weekend by the government and they have no economic fist to combat the administration and they operate under a narrow space. The system of two political parties who have no common agenda made the situation worse and how their members in the parliament can fulfill the policies of the parties is yet to be seen. The opposition parties are needed to present clear political economical and social programs that they will make political socio-economic reforms, combat corruption and the rights of women and all civic societies to participate in the decision making. In future this system need to be changed and a democratic system of two political parties will be better.

The new parliament is being crippled on tribal lines. The government uses the tactics of divide and rule and always pays (dhemaal) to get what it wants. It is dangerous if the legislative body of the country dispel. The economic reforms should first address the need of the parliament by increasing their salaries. At the completion of the democratic process and immediately after the election of the parliament people were expecting for a cabinet shake up and a political cohabitation that the government live with the new criteria of the opposition majority in parliament but no change has been made.

There are certain ministers people always talk in their gatherings who are keeping the country in this static state, and unless they are out posted the wheel of the government will soon stop. How long these un-popular cabinet ministers stay at the helm on the expense of the poor people who are getting poorer every day and unless these are out posted it will be difficult to move any step forward..

The budget of last year was passed by the parliament not because it was without errors but to give the government a chance to breathe and re-equip itself and prepare transparent budget the following year. The honorable minister of finance when he presented the budget of last year, he did not come to the parliament hall with good intentions and he looked as if he is in a battle ground. He made a politically motivated speech which did not spell even the financial situation of the country. The budget of the previous year was not also presented for comparison. He categorically refused to fulfill the demand of the parliament in this respect. The budget of this year is being delayed as a tactic to pressure the parliament.

We are urging the parliament not to approve this year’s budget unless all the requirements are met and the financial situation of the country is straightened. The most important is to check the accounts of 2006 of all the regions and districts and from there the parliament will know where the money has been spent. The parliament is required to process means of forming an auditing team who can verify these accounts and report back to the house. There is every suspicion that the whole budget is spent only in Hargeisa in the ministries and nothing went to the regions except the meager salaries.

In presenting the budget of this year to the legislative body the minister of finance needs a bench mark by which to gauge progress outlining the achievements and trends of the financial situation of the country .All policies and positions need to be built on a foundation of facts and logic. The relevant technical questions can be answered by the director general or the budget director who are directly involved with the figure work. They are the experts to clarify any position in the budget and the accounts of the country.

The term of the commission expired and the government want to fill these posts by men of their choice who can carry out their agenda. There are expert skilled personnel in the country would have made a difference but they are outlawed because of their political difference with the authority. They have also started to interfere the members that the opposition parties are supposed to be filled according to the constitution.

This time the public is watching closely the situation and how the opposition parties will act and address this issue. The opposition parties are required this time to check the administration and to be strong advocates for their members who are deprived of their rights to be members of the commission otherwise they will loose momentum. This time the administration should not be allowed under any circumstance to get away with this wrong decision.

Lastly I want to remind the non-governmental organizations in the country to fill their political socio-economic space to change the course of the present administration who is defying and refused to listen the voice of its people so far and should not be hostage for few people who are only working for their own good.

Email: Ibraahim Qalib, kaalib33@hotmail.com