Part II

To opposition party’s roles and responsibility for the current crisis

Meatier Ganda said “intolerance itself is a form of violence and obstacles to the growth of true democratic spirit

Kulmiye and UCID are the only registered opposition parties in Somaliland. The opposition parties are legitimate institutions that have obligations and rights in the political mainstream, without them no democratic system is prevailed across Somaliland. The Somaliland political analysts assert if the institutional capacity of the opposition parties has been stronger then the ruling party, a weaker government wouldn’t have ruled over the citizens. The opposition parties are to monitor over the government that violating the charter,   shape public politics and policies, while recognizing and respecting the authority of the elected government. This is possible because of democratic societies commit to the values of tolerance, compromise and cooperation.

The role for the opposition parties in the current crisis

If the current problem is that all key actors losing their faith in the democratic system and weak capacity in their institutions contributed the deterioration of the political circumstance. Therefore what roles have the opposition played in escalating the current problem? The opposition parties have direct responsibility to the postponement of the elections, because, the electoral process are shared responsibilities; shared responsibilities are defined as collaboration between two or more persons or bodies performing the same kind of activity in the creation of the content of an item. The contribution of each may form a separate and instinct part of the item or the contribution of each may not be separable from that of the other. Therefore, each part should be held accountable for its contribution positively or negatively. The opposition receive their share of responsibilities in three ways; 1- being a part of the primary actors of the conflict, 2- annexing their power desire to the political conflicts 3-The style they manage to the conflicts.

1- The opposition parties either proactively or reactively engage to pre-election disputes, therefore they become one actor in the conflicts. the context of the electoral disputes have an influence to cross-cutting issues that is indistinguishable from one to another, E.g. election schedule, term for the presidency and the power arrival process are integrated issue that if one part deviates from its path, it effects to the second part. In this scenario, if the opposition engage in a dispute it effects to cross cutting issues. Contrary to pre-election disputes; if there has not been a dispute, or disputes are managed positively (win/win situation), the election is not postponed, the term for the presidency will be legitimate and the power is arrived through democratic elections. In this case, neither of the two sides will be blameworthy. 

2-The opposition parties are criticized annexing their power desire to the conflicts or the problems, in the above case, the opposition parties often address on the impacts of the disputes instead of the causes and effects of the problems (a power arrival process). This type of concern is interoperated that oppositions are deliberately engaging the arguments in order to topple down the current government undemocratically. E.g. biometric registration lists, Sillanyo was the one preferred an election without registration instead of it is being postponed, as the government endorsed recently going election without registration, the opposition’s position automatically changed to other way round.

3- The style of conflict management: intolerance itself is a form of violence and obstacles to the growth of true democratic spirit. The aggressive style that opposition utilize in the process of conflict mitigation is based on non-charter provisions while they accuse the government mishandling the provision in the constitution. Good example is that the suggestions made by the two opposing sides in resolving the power arrival process; ruling party is suggesting that an extension should be made for the term of the current government, which is based on an article in the constitution restricted to a particular condition  that is being unfit to the present situation. The second suggestion is forming a caring government that rules over the country during the transitional period, the second part is not referred from the charter and it is a baseless proposal that needs first to be legalized.

My points of view is, the two opposing suggestions are based on provisions in the constitution, but one of them has a reference in the charter although it can not be asserted that it fits for the present condition, but the next suggestion is wholly unconstitutional and innovative resolution that needs to be legalized, the sad thing is that oppositions that were to monitor the infringement of the charter asserted the one that has not constitutional reference.   

Opposition parties should act responsible by showing their supporters and external world for their tolerance during the conflicting period by emphasizing on finding concrete solutions for the causes and effects of the problem, they avoid addressing the impact of the problem instead of its route causes. They should blame themselves that weak government is ruling over the country because of they are not strong enough to compete with the existing weakness that this government posses.

Way forward

Opposition parties should arrive to the power through ballots not violence, before they climb the power they should demonstrate that they are different from the ruling party and their administration by strengthening their internal democracy and improve party’s governance. Then they can easily win in the ballots.  I have therefore, several points suggesting for opposition parties improve their weakness to be able to change the current administration they are:-

1.       Develop alternative Dispute resolution strategy which enables proactively resolve the conflicts being reactive to imposed resolutions.

2.       Avoid focusing the power destination instead of political process or arriving the power undemocratically regardless the illegal extension for the term of the presidency that was caused by electoral postponement in the expense of the long term future and stability, tolerance and democratic governance.

3.       Adhere to provisions in the constitutions generally not endorsing particular provisions while ignoring the others

4.       Strengthening  governance and democracy in the party level and  the tolerance culture horizontally or vertically ( in the party or interacting to other parties)

5.       Increasing and improving the participation level of their supporters to be able to  differentiate themselves from the ruling party

6.       opposition parties should be responsible institution that takes government to be accountable through sensitizing the community

Continue to National election commission responsibilities over the current crisis

Written by Ibrahim Saed Hussein

Email: ibrahimkhadar@hotmail.com

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