Sanity prevails, yet again, in Somaliland
| Front Page |
EDITORIAL
The release of Qaran leaders Muhammad Abdi Gaboose, Muhammad Hashi Ilmi and Jamal Aidid was an excellent gift to the people of Somaliland on the occasion of the holy Muslim celebration of Eid. Like many Somalilanders we wish that they were released much earlier, or better yet, that they were never put behind bars in the first place, still, we commend the president for his bold, though belated action. Somaliland prides itself in not having any political prisoners and it should stay that way.
Now that Qaran leaders are out of jail, and with the municipal and presidential elections getting nearer and nearer, we urge Somaliland’s politicians, elders, religious leaders and civil society to engage in dialogue on how to navigate through the complex issues and difficult times ahead of us. There are two reasons we are stressing the role of elders, religious leaders and civil society: (1) because the legal system which is supposed to be the final arbiter in political and legal disputes has a serious credibility problem and does not have the trust of the various parties; (2) because left to themselves, it is very likely that our politicians would lead us into another prolonged mess. That is why Somaliland’s stakeholders must be involved in cajoling, shaming and pushing our politicians into doing the right thing.
Our politicians should keep in mind that the people are getting fed up with a daily diet of inflammatory rhetoric and constant grandstanding from their politicians as they watch their health care, education, and economy deteriorate by the day. In other words, Somaliland’s politicians were not given a blank check by the citizens, and the day of reckoning is getting closer.
With Qaran leaders back in our midst, we urge Somaliland’s political class to do some self-examination, re-evaluate their methods of operation and come up with constructive ideas that improve the living conditions of ordinary people, foster dialogue, protect the national interest, and make the current sanity take a deeper hold.
Source: Somaliland Times
Home | Contact us | Links | Archives | Search