Hargeisa - 10 June 2015 - Csh - The current Somaliland president HE. Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud (Siilaanyo) is the forth elected president since Somaliland declared its independence from the former Somalia on 18 May 1991, and the second democratically elected president since political parties being adopted in Somaliland in 2003. As fair and free elections were held in june 2010 which resulted KULMIYE securing 266,906 votes which makes 59.59% of the total of elections, where their other competing parties UDUB and UCID won 178,881 votes (33.23%) and 92,489 votes (17.18%) respectively.
After Kulmiye succeeded to govern Somaliland and Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Siilaanyo became the president of Somaliland on 27nd July 2010 a new era was expected to started for Somaliland as a peaceful democratic presidential handover took place, while Kenyan elections ended in a bloodshed and chaos at that same year.
But unfortunately despite of his failure to fulfill his proclaimed promises on his 5 years term into his presidency during election period, Ahmed Siilaanyo has instead shown numerous signs of an executive dictatorship that has threatened some provisions of the constitution and weakened our democratic institutions. And it is clearly evident that the president was gradually building a solid wall of power instead of prioritising to achieve his promised development goals.
The following evidence undoubtedly proves that this government is drifting towards a dictatorship:
● Keeping public wealth and power in the family. Enriching the family and controlling aids and other funds or even government contracts being awarded or hired within the family or related members, as they are not accountable for their actions because of having absolute power.
● Intentionally not reinstated the state of emergency imposed by the former Interior Minister Ahmed Jambir Suldan on 2nd September 2000, to keep remain as a loophole in order to violate future elections for its reason.
● Use of the law for competition suppression, creating a subterranean band of enforcers within the House of Representatives engaging in an illegal activities to weaken and decrease the oposition influence within the house, tabling a motion against the chairman of House of Representatives as well as the Chairman of Wadani National Party to be impeached, and restricting his couterpart constituency members to attend the house while the motion in progress in order to dominate the quorum, using the law to suppress their opponent political parties.
● Denying any kind of peaceful demonstrations carried by their rival political parties imposing coercive measures and entrenching troops all over the country restricting movements, taking over party offices and carrying out unlawfull arrests on party leaders accusing for organising illegal acts to destabilise the security of the country.
● Preventing and restricting opposition party leaders movements within the country such as when the candidate for presidency of UCID Jamal Ali Hussein and his party members being refused to visit Gebilay on 05 December 2013 even though they were not carrying any political activities or lobbying.
● Appointing Hersi Ali Hassan as Chief of Cabinet Secretary, which contradictes to system of government. Japan is the only country so far that introduced the title as they use prime minister and chief of Cabinet Secretary is regarded as a stepping stone to the post of Prime Minister.The chief of Cabinet Secretary is customerly nominted as the first to serve as temporary acting prime minister in case the prime minster is unable to serve due death or other grave reasons.
● Subversion of internal checks and balance by appointing key positions of persons who can be controlled by their sponsors, and who are then induced to do illegal things.
● Establishing of British trained paramilitary counter-terror squad known as Rapid Reaction Unit (RRU) in 2012, and later used them as his own personal task force, staging events to produce popular support such Act of terrorism, blamed on members of political opponents, followed immediately with well-prepared proposals for increased powers and budgets for this suppressive guards similar to Reichstag plot.
● Repressings against independent journalists of Haatuf and Hubaal, mistreating and jailing reporters and banning the news agencies unlawfully without justify or taking their cases into court.
● Introduction of new political parties to be registered in order to get rid of the most powerful UDUB party out of Somalilands political field and bring new government assisted parties into the field, so KULMIYE would have the opportunity to be the most dominant party in the next elections.
● Suspension of elections despite of ensuring that his government will not stay in office one more day outside the elected term of 5 years and will hold the elections on time.
Anyway, It is a matter of time when the government failings would fall under the weight of its own contradictions and confrontations. And the recent political undercurrents within the Somaliland populace however indicate that the country is drifting towards a precipice of chaos as the political and economic situation are facing dramatic and somewhat catastrophic disruptions.
The other important gangdom behind this ostensible government are enthroned influential power called House of Elders (Guurti) owing no allegiance and acknowledging, no responsibility to the interest of Somaliland. This group are extremely powerful and above the judiciary, although their term has expired 17 years and the constitution does not specify whether the house member should be directly or inderectly elected. Therefore, unless our constitution is amended this issues remain as a scapegoat and infringements will take place as before were house members had the authority to extend their terms in the house.
Having said that I am not encouraging the Somaliland's peace loving citizens to destabilise their long achieved peace but my point is to bring into your attention the evolving dictatorship within our Somaliland. And all the above indications could be a wake up call for us all.
By Ahmed muse
Wa Bilaahi Towfiiq.
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