By Liban Obsiye

Oh my, how tragic! How terrible! An abuse of the process, a denial of our human rights! A denial of our identity and our history.  A denial of our heritage.  Dramatic? Overly dramatic I would say but this is how those who oppose the cancellation of the official annual Independence Day celebrations which ought to have taken place on May the 18^th reacted to the news.  President Dahir Kahin Rayale cancelled the traditional celebration which has been held since Somaliland declared itself independent of the war torn Somalia Republic in 1991. President Rayale cited the election preparation and the delicate and most urgent work been undertaken by the National Election Commission as the sole reason for the cancellation.  Despite June 26^th been the set date for the elections, the process of identifying and registering those eligible to vote is not yet complete and this is made more complicated by the influx of non resident Somalis from abroad and other parts of Somalia.

The opposition Parties and their leaders have yet to comment but the opposition supporters are already crying foul. This, in some of their eyes, appears to be a cancellation of a celebration that was suppose to highlight how unpopular the current administration is through the use of what one can only expect to have been a sea of opposition flags and anti government chants. However, what would have the use of this been? Surely, if President Rayale is as unpopular as opposition leaders make him out to be, he has less than 6 weeks of political life left? Why would the cancellation of a Party harm any opposition Party? The fact is that it will not.

Most of the Parties held in the Western world to celebrate Somaliland’s Independence Day were money making enterprises which nearly all ended up with violence and aggression. In most European Cities, Parties were been organised for individual tribes and nothing more than Western music and the occasional nationalistic songs were been played. Whereas other African Independence Days in Europe and the Western World are led by national embassies and political and social dignitaries, Somaliland’s Independence Day Celebrations were lead by singers regurgitating old songs which do not belong to them and SNM veterans wanting a slice of the cake they believe they helped bake by apparently deposing the former Somali dictator, Siyad Barre.

Despite the above, National Independence days are very important. It is a day to remember the past and to celebrate change, progress and prosperity. It is also a chance to remember and to thank those who fought for and facilitated change, democracy and stability. However, it is important to remember that the success and progress that is been celebrated on this day and the national joy and triumph been projected to the wider world, must continue after this day. In Somaliland’s case, if the election does not go clinically well in June, all hope of prosperity, stability and progress may become history. Somaliland needs this election to go well in order that the peace its people have so desperately struggled for over nearly two decades is not disrupted by political violence and claims of hijacked elections by losing Political Party’s.

The fact that the official Independence  Day Party has been cancelled to allow for the proper preparation of national elections should not be a cause for concern but a celebration of political maturity and understanding.  It ought to convey to those living in the region that whilst it is important to celebrate these occasions, it is more important to ensure their continuity, through the facilitation of fair and transparent elections.  President Rayale’s refusal to allow journalists to ask questions was short sighted but could it have been in the national interest? Could he perhaps have also feared another terrorist attack from Al Shabaab and other misinformed and unrepresentative groups hiding under the Islamic banner?  Perhaps, we cannot know. However, it appears as though without properly assessing the current political and security climate, some people, especially opposition supporters, have assumed there must be some form of corruption going on as a result of the cancellation. What is fundamental for any democracy to grow and thrive is the separation of facts and propaganda.  Propaganda is dangerous and as a result people must refrain from been dragged into political debates purely by blind party loyalty. Instead, people must think rationally, ask and question before they jump to conclusions. Assumptions are dangerous for democracy. Assumptions fuel suspicion and this destabilizes democracy.

Despite the cancellation of the official Independence Day celebrations, many private individual parties were held all over Somaliland. Opposition Party’s also were able to and did hold private meeting with their members to celebrate this day. This clearly shows it would be plausible to suggest that the government was working in the greater public interest as there was no curtailment of the Freedom of Assembly which many opposition supporters originally feared.

There is absolutely no escaping it. The facts are simple. The same momentous tasks that faced their fathers 50 years before them face Somalilanders today.  Is Somaliland able to cope with the challenges that possible independence brings if this election goes well? Is there political maturity? A collective national vision? Unity of purpose? History rarely repeats itself twice and this is one of those rare moments which desperately need to be seized with both hands. This election must include all those who are eligible and willing to vote for the path they want their politicians and country to take. Everybody who has an interest and has the right to vote must be heard, especially those who are commonly neglected and those who live on the edges of society as a result of social exclusion and poverty.  

Whilst some commentators have politicized the cancellation of the official Independence Day Celebrations, the national election is beyond petty party politics. It needs to take place and it needs to be done properly. Fairness and transparency should be the central themes of this election and the only way this will happen is if the registration and election facilitation process is prioritized over some other national events like the official Independence Day celebrations on May 18 ^th.

After the elections there might be the chance for real celebrations as if it goes well democracy will be strengthened and the political future of the people secured by majority consensus. Until then, the national focus should be on getting the election right and little else.

Liban Obsiye

Bristol, UK.

libanbakaa@hotmail.com

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