Somalia: 2009 Puntland presidential elections must be held
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:51 pm
SUNDAY EDITORIAL | Muse must do the same for the next president by ensuring the election is held on January 8, 2009, as promised.
No longer are locals and Diaspora Somalis surprised at the ineptitude and mismanagement skills of the ruling class in Puntland. This is a group of people who inherited a well-built political machine and turned it into a weak establishment on the edge of disorder. In 2005, when the incumbent administration of Gen. Mohamud "Adde" Muse came to power in a peaceful transition, the Puntland regions enjoyed enviable peace and political prestige among Somalia's various factions. The local government provided basic public services, such as reliable security, functioning ministries and a regulated economy. With Gen. Muse's ascension to power, Puntland slowly disintegrated one act after another, it seemed.
Now, with less than one year left in Muse's mandate, it seems Puntland officials are issuing contradictory statements regarding the 2009 presidential elections. President Muse himself was quoted by local press as saying that "not a single day" will be added after he completes his four-year term. A few days later, his deputy, Vice President Hassan Dahir Afqura told Radio Galkayo that, in his opinion, presidential hopefuls should not announce their candidacy at "a time when Las Anod is under occupation."
One begs to ask: What does the situation in Las Anod have to do with the Puntland presidential elections? Secondly, isn't the Muse administration to blame for Somaliland's military takeover of Las Anod?
Las Anod, the provincial capital of Sool, was under the full control of Puntland troops when the Muse-Afqura team came to power. Corrupt practices solidified during the Muse administration led to the ultimate loss of Las Anod. Unpaid members of the security forces are not willing to take a bullet in any part of the world. Pure and simple!
The fact remains that Gen. Muse, a former rebel, was sworn in as the President of Puntland in a smooth transition to power after former President Mohamed Abdi Hashi gracefully stepped down. Muse must do the same for the next president by ensuring the election is held on January 8, 2009, as promised.
Unfortunately, Puntland's next leader will not be given the golden opportunity Muse-Afqura received when they took power in the capital Garowe. The incoming president faces many challenges, including Las Anod, an economic crisis caused by counterfeit cash, rising insecurity including piracy and kidnappings, an influx of refugees and would-be migrants, and a general institutional disorder.
But the opportunities are also plenty once an effective ruler reigns in Garowe.
Garowe Online Editorial, editorial@garoweonline.com
No longer are locals and Diaspora Somalis surprised at the ineptitude and mismanagement skills of the ruling class in Puntland. This is a group of people who inherited a well-built political machine and turned it into a weak establishment on the edge of disorder. In 2005, when the incumbent administration of Gen. Mohamud "Adde" Muse came to power in a peaceful transition, the Puntland regions enjoyed enviable peace and political prestige among Somalia's various factions. The local government provided basic public services, such as reliable security, functioning ministries and a regulated economy. With Gen. Muse's ascension to power, Puntland slowly disintegrated one act after another, it seemed.
Now, with less than one year left in Muse's mandate, it seems Puntland officials are issuing contradictory statements regarding the 2009 presidential elections. President Muse himself was quoted by local press as saying that "not a single day" will be added after he completes his four-year term. A few days later, his deputy, Vice President Hassan Dahir Afqura told Radio Galkayo that, in his opinion, presidential hopefuls should not announce their candidacy at "a time when Las Anod is under occupation."
One begs to ask: What does the situation in Las Anod have to do with the Puntland presidential elections? Secondly, isn't the Muse administration to blame for Somaliland's military takeover of Las Anod?
Las Anod, the provincial capital of Sool, was under the full control of Puntland troops when the Muse-Afqura team came to power. Corrupt practices solidified during the Muse administration led to the ultimate loss of Las Anod. Unpaid members of the security forces are not willing to take a bullet in any part of the world. Pure and simple!
The fact remains that Gen. Muse, a former rebel, was sworn in as the President of Puntland in a smooth transition to power after former President Mohamed Abdi Hashi gracefully stepped down. Muse must do the same for the next president by ensuring the election is held on January 8, 2009, as promised.
Unfortunately, Puntland's next leader will not be given the golden opportunity Muse-Afqura received when they took power in the capital Garowe. The incoming president faces many challenges, including Las Anod, an economic crisis caused by counterfeit cash, rising insecurity including piracy and kidnappings, an influx of refugees and would-be migrants, and a general institutional disorder.
But the opportunities are also plenty once an effective ruler reigns in Garowe.
Garowe Online Editorial, editorial@garoweonline.com