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Dr.
Mohamed-Rashid Sheikh Hassan, Vice President Candidate of UCID Party
On Thursday, the 20th of August, 2009, the people of Somaliland turned
out to the streets of all the major cities in the country to express
their feelings and what they think about the current political
situation. The people gave full support to the two opposition parties,
UCID and Kulmiye by answering their call in a decisive momentous
fashion.
Few days before the demonstration, I, Faisal Ali Warabe (chairman of
UCID Party), Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud (Silanyo) (Chairman of Kulmiye
Party), and Abdirahman Sayli’i (Vice president Candidate of Kulmiye
Party) met the Minister of interior. We handed him a letter in which we
had informed him that the two parties and their supporters would like to
make a public rally on Thursday, so that the leadership of the political
parties share with their supporters the current political situation of
the country.
The Interior Minister, Mr. Abdillahi Iro politely received the letter
from us and told us that he would give us an answer as soon as possible.
The next day, he wrote a letter to us saying that only Kulmiye Party
could organize a rally on Thursday and this fits to their schedule as
specified in the campaign paper issued by the National Electoral
Commission (NEC); while the Minister perfectly knew that the opposition
parties had already categorically rejected to participate in the
campaign unless NEC and the President return to the legality of the
country and respect the parliament’s statement regarding this matter. He
also knew that the opposition parties have a constitutional right to
make a peaceful political demonstration or rally.
Wednesday midnight, the Minister made an announcement on the state-run
television that no rally will be allowed either for Kulmiye or for UCID;
while the preparations of the rally were already in full swing and in
the final touches for the Thursday demonstration.
In Hargeysa, at eight o’clock in the morning, the leadership of the two
parties arrived at the Freedom Park before the public arrival to give a
leadership to the rally. When we arrived there, the gates of the Freedom
Park were closed and each gate there were about ten policewomen standing
at the gates and units of armed police were deployed inside and outside
the Park.
After realizing the state of affairs and understanding the reasons why
they particularly deployed policewomen at the gates, we told our
supporters to be calm and not to push the policewomen nor break the
gates.
The people of Somaliland refused that their constitutional rights to be
denied anymore and took the streets carrying banners and waving the
flags of the opposition parties and pouring to the Freedom Park Square (Fagaaraha
Beerta Xoriyadda) and the similar places in the regions.
While we could not go inside the garden and install the public speakers
in the usual stage inside the garden, we spoke to the people from a
loudspeaker in a car as the gathering gained momentum minute by minute
until the whole area was congested. In the faces of the crowd, there
were both “sadness and anger” and “happiness and excitement”. Anger and
sadness because their rights for demonstration was deprived and
“happiness and excitement” because they, with the help of Allah, finally
achieved their aim.
This was a demonstration and a public rally that the people of
Somaliland rarely have experienced which is normal in all countries.
Demonstration is one of the pillars of democracy and human rights.
Denying people from this right is unconstitutional in any aspect we look
at.
Thursday, 20th of August was a memorial day, a day in which the
Somaliland masses were making a history, although some of them may not
have known its significance. Eventually, the police realized that the
people were on the right side and they could not disturb the peace and
cause of the people.
The events went in a similar way in all the regions of the country
except Borama and Las Anod where the local opposition leaders were
arrested and put in prison and Berbera where the police fired at the
gathering.
The public demonstrations or rallies which have been common in the
streets of Cape Town, Nairobi, Sarajevo, Toronto and London has taken
place in the streets of Hargeysa and other major towns of the country.
But this was realized after major obstacles and difficulties.
Whenever the regime continues to deny the people from excising and
expressing their political rights, conversely the people’s political
consciousness and maturity grow and they come to realize that they have
to come out to defend their rights. This is what happened in Somaliland
on Thursday, the 20th of August, 2009. It was a milestone of Somaliland
modern political history and democratization process.
I would like to congratulate all of those who participated in this
important historical event – students, youth, women with their children,
the elderly, the press and the other sections of the community. The
participants of this historical event, which went peacefully, were
people who may not have had a breakfast in the morning and if they have
had they may have had one cup of tea and two slice of Somali pan cake (koob
shaah ah iyo laba xabadood oo laxoox ah); but determined to fight for
their rights.
The people of Somaliland, you ought to remember that this marked a
significant event of your firm belief to demand your rights through
constitutional method, and the event also constitutes an important stage
of Somaliland modern political history and democratization process.
Dr. Mohamed-Rashid Sheikh Hassan,
Vice President Candidate for UCID Party
Email: rashid108@hotmail.com
Hargeysa, Somaliland
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