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If you ask any Somalilander what issue should Somaliland’s government
give priority to at the moment, it is almost certain that preparing the
country for a peaceful election would be the answer. If everybody knows
it, then for sure Somaliland government knows it. But from the way
Somaliland government is behaving these days, you would think that it
does not know this.
What is making us say this? Look no farther than the widely reported
government’s intention of prosecuting editors of several newspapers and
individuals. Two of these, the editor of Jamhuriya, Muhammad Omar
Abdi (Irro), and the respected opposition figure Eng. Muhammad Hashi
have already been summoned by Somaliland’s intelligence. Such actions by
the government at this juncture will only create divisions and renewed
controversy at a time when the energies of the country should be focused
on securing the country for the elections.
Security and election should be the top priority right now, and anything
that will have a negative impact on those two issues should be dropped.
That goes for the opposition as well as the media. Of course, elections
means competition and it involves criticism of political opponents but
that criticism should have limits. One of those limits should be
national security. This means that both the government and the
opposition should refrain from politicizing issues of national security.
The dispute among the Upper House leadership is another distraction that
Somaliland cannot afford. Now that the Chairman of the Upper House,
Suleiman Adam, is back in the country, Somalilanders expect him and the
rest of the Upper House leadership to resolve their dispute quickly. The
time for side shows are over. Somaliland people have waited too long to
have their say at the ballot box, and they will not accept from anyone
to either delay or derail their chance to give their verdict.
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