Rating The UDUB Record

By Mohamud Tani

When President Rayale won the presidential contest in Somaliland in 2003, the people of Somaliland had given him a mandate of five years and he and his UDUB team had to complete a set number of goals and bench-marks. They were handed a home work. Now that we are at the end of Rayale’s first term, and the five years are almost done, let me examine what these bench marks were. Let me try to judge on what has been completed or not completed of these tasks. Let me also rate the performance of the Government on each and everyone of the assignments given to them at the time of their election five years ago.

To my understanding the goals set for the Government at the time of their election are clear.

1-They were elected to maintain the peace, security and the tranquility of the nation.

2-They were elected to finalize and complete the sequence of national elections which has begun under their administration and therefore complete the democratization process.

3-They were elected to liberate the eastern parts of the country which was long occupied by the so-called Puntland, an extended arm of Somalia, and therefore UDUB was required to free them and make all the borders of the nation under Government control.

4-They were elected to bring about the International Recognition that we rightly deserve.

5-They were elected to make a good governance and a quality administration that can both deliver services and lead the country towards development.

Now that we have highlighted what the Government was supposed to do in it’s five year mandate,  let me fairly try to rate their performance in each and every category, and then see if they passed or failed the test. Only then can we make an educated and wise judgment on whether UDUB has a shot at the presidency again or not.

1-      On the question of peace and security I will give them an excellent mark. Under this Government we had peace in the cities and in the countryside during all the time in it’s tenure. In Africa the people usually want to maintain their peaceful co-existence, however it is the Governments that always bring about problems that destroy their peace. I have to applaud this President that he did not create incidents in the country during his leadership, and deep im my heart that is a great performance from his part. My rating on this issue is straight A.

2-      I think everybody agrees with me that this President will go down to History as if for nothing else, as the man who under his watch the first democratic elections were held. He trusted the people of Somaliland and their sophistication and ability to conduct campaigns and elections that could be the envy of the world. He made that possible and the world respects us for it. Therefore we thank him for it, and I think I would not be so much off the mark if I rate him and his administration in straight A+s in this category.

3-      The story of the eastern part of the country was a story that has pained us in the most acute places for a long time. Due to the patience, wisdom, military build-up and preparation, diplomacy both within and outside And putting together a team that can deliver at the right moment,  Somaliland is finally in full control of all its territories. It was a blitz. It was shock and awe. What a victory! All that came due to the careful and meticulous leadership of the present ruling party and it’s president. He deserves to be called Marshall Rayale, the hero of the eastern front. In this category I would rate him with five stars******and an A+

4-      As far as the International recognition is concerned. This Government of UDUB did make a great amount of endeavor. From the time of Edna Adam to the present Foreign Minister they traveled and knocked doors in almost all parts of the world. They campaigned very cleverly within the AU, and convinced the secretariat of the legitimacy of our cause.. They took their homework on that area very seriously and did all that they could do. However, they did not deliver yet in that assignment. The powerful lobby of Egypt and Italy are still in our way. Yet I believe that the Government is diplomatically in the right track and allied itself internationally with forces that we can bank on in the future. In this category I would give them a B grade.

5-      Good Governance and performance in public sector is where the government is the weakest. Political realities and considerations destroy the possibility of the right man for the right post even in developed countries. We call it patronage in Canada. It is the reality of a system of Government based on a system of campaigns and votes. It was Winston Churchill who said that democracy is the worst system of Government, but for all others. Apart from the realities of the democratic machine in Government system, the resources of our country are meager. There is a massive trade embargo imposed on us by the Arab countries that severely hurt our economy. Besides that the Government has to overlook penalties on tax evasion for this is no time of creating strong revenue agencies with no nonsense style. No international developmental aid comes to us, something I believe will prove to be a blessing in disguise for us in the future, despite our present bad roads. With a budget of just over twenty million people they maintain schools, hospitals, policing, army and they have more than 60 thousand Somalilanders in their pay-roll.  I think that is no small feat. Yet I believe the government could have tried better in the field good public administration and governance. I believe the government could have given more time to governing than politicking. I will have to consent that we need improvements in the judiciary system. All in all I think I will be generous if I give the government a grade C in that category.

That is my report card on the UDUB government of this day and on it’s leader Rayale Kahin. As far as I am concerned this strong record to request the people of Somaliland for a second mandate. Nobody was expecting that the party in power will deliver on all it’s major targets. Here in North America a 20-30% accomplished is seen as a miracle. Rayale’s record looks to me as close to 80% done. Only who has crossed half the way can finish up the rest, all the way to the line. In that light I’m sure the people of Somaliland will not hesitate to vote UDUB if the voting were done today. However, I am expecting that both Kulmiye and UCID have got tricks up their sleeve and may take rabbits out of their hats at the last moment. Let us wait and see.

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