SomaliNet Forums

President invites the public on multi-party debate




HARGEISA — President Ahmed Silanyo on Monday issued a press release in which he said he was open to new suggestions and debate on the issue of multi-party system.

Even though, Somaliland is multi-party country with viable democratic institutions, many groups have been calling for more parties than the current three. They believe more political parties would increase the diversity of viable voices in the political dialogue in the country.

The previous government led by President Dahir Riyale limited the number of political parties to the current three – United Peoples Democratic party (UDUB), Justice and Development party (UCID) and the ruling Peace, Unity and Development party (Kulmiye).

During the election campaign, President Silanyo promised to pledge state support for those wishing to form new parties while inviting blacklisted parties to join his Kulmiye party. One such party to compromise with Silanyo and Kulmiye party was the unregistered Qaran party (The Nation) led by the current Interior Minister Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose and Finance Minister eng. Mohamed Hashi Elmi.

The statement from the office of the president said that President Ahmed Silanyo was not ready to scrap the ban nor pour cold water on the issue but will weight on mainstream views. He said he has set up a committee of twenty members to study and explore the best options for political reforms for the country.

In bid to satisfy everyone’s appetite and engage with the public, the president listed individuals from all walks of life in the committee — they include representatives from the existing three parties, NGOs, MPs, tribal elders, religious groups, students and academia, Human right organizations, minority groups, Women advocate groups, businesses and government advisers. The president added he was fulfilling his campaign promise to the public.

While many have welcomed the move, others expressed concerns saying the rise in political parties might open a pandora’s box which will allow each tribe to create their own political party thus dividing the cohesiveness that has made Somaliland democracy a model in this region. They also argue three parties are more than enough for a nation with relatively small population like Somaliland.

Those who are for simply argue under a true democracy, there should not be any restrictions.

In 2002, during the formation of Somaliland’s multi-party system, more than ten parties had registered. The legislation stated a party must receive at least 20 percent of the popular vote from four of Somaliland’s six regions in order to advance to the next stage.

Six parties met this criteria and went into a battle to further minimize the number of parties in the country. A constitution was agreed on that only three parties with the most vote will be approved. The electoral commission announced the current three parties received the most votes. The other three parties had to merge with one of the three.

Somaliland withdrew from a never rectified union with its neighbor Somalia in 1991 after a bloody war against dictator Mohamed Siad Bare. It is often described as a peaceful, multi-party system democratic state but remains unrecognized.

Somaliland combines traditional and western institutions to form its own hybrid system. Many have recognized its unique system which is the backbone of its stability and its abilities to resolve internal disputes.

Last week, a Kenyan delegation consisting of 20 lawmakers visited the country for few days to study and document the local Parliamentary system called Gurti, customary law system known as Xeer and other indigenous alternative dispute resolution mechanism. They revealed they will try to apply it in their own country especially in hot-spot areas such as the so called rift-valley.

Somalilandpress | 16 March 2011

Source; http://somalilandpress.com/somaliland-p ... bate-20984

Democracy at work .

You know I am very torn about this whole opening of new parties...You can argue strongly for both "for & against"..

The ruling party Kulmiye in the election got 49% of the vote and that was with only three parties contesting the elections.

Say more parties are added 1, 2 or 3 more it will mean the vote share will be even more stretched and you'll have the leading party in future elections having something like 25% or around that mark at best. Can any party getting less than 51% say they are the ones with a mandate to govern? Answer is no. Unless there is going to be a run off whereby continuous elections are held with the parties getting less votes are weeded out until you finally have one with 51% then it's going to be a long drawn out process and on top of that very expensive.

What needs to happen is the current parties need to reform themselves, thoses who want to lead the party have to enagage in debate have a manifesto and finally that specific party's membership base can go on to elect their chairman in primaries from gobol to gobol.

Or they can have a situation such as 1960's Somalia when something like 70 parties were contesting in the elections

3 is enough. The parties need face changes im for clearing all parties and 3 new ones created with fresh new faces and ideas.

I am totally against this. More parties = More problems. Does anyone know that in the old Somali Republic 1960 - 1969, that there were over 90 registered, clan based political parties representing a population at that time of around 3 million folks? There is a danger here that even adding a couple more parties could provide thae opportunity for clan based politics to take over.

fdama wrote:I am totally against this. More parties = More problems. Does anyone know that in the old Somali Republic 1960 - 1969, that there were over 90 registered, clan based political parties representing a population at that time of around 3 million folks? There is a danger here that even adding a couple more parties could provide thae opportunity for clan based politics to take over.

It is Either Multiparty or reform the existing 3.

3-parties which are lead by Isaaqs is simply a bomb waiting to explode. You are not going to escape this no matter how democratic you become.

Why not Allow the change of policy required to have 2 parties lead by non Isaaqs?

P.s When will the IDps be given the opportunity for Naturalisation?

200,000 Non Landers can even setup their own political party Ucid got less then 150,000 votes in the last elections right?

200,000 Non Landers can even setup their own political party

AsadSL wrote:

200,000 Non Landers can even setup their own political party

Obviously i am shooting in the dark. Imagine the following configuration as a possible setup.

Party1-PM: Isaaq
Party1-2nd: Minorities+Idps

Party2-PM: Samaroon
Party2-2nd: Isaaq

Party3-PM: Harti
Party3-2nd:Isaaq

The Isaaq Majority is better placed distributed to allow for fair political evolution. This gives all residents a stake in the preservation and properity of somaliland. It is an all inclusive party system where everyone would feel fairness and equality. This would certainly instill Nationalistic attitudes in all civilians as we all tend to preserve that which we feel presents our interests.

Loyalty and pride in a nation is not forced it is seduced. Are you ready for adult politics as a people?

I mean we are very far from the day that you will allow a MJ in your cabinet but it is a future posibility, if time addresses the political concerns you have about your identity and your uniqueness.

i agree with cirwaaq having three isaaq men as the leaders and presidency runners is not fair for the other clans
i think it should be like this

kulmiye-1st isaaq
2nd gadabursi

ucid 1st harti
2nd isaaq

udub 1st gadabursi
2nd isaaq

in this way somaliland can have qabiil free elections

hargaysaay wrote:i agree with cirwaaq having three isaaq men as the leaders and presidency runners is not fair for the other clans
i think it should be like this

kulmiye-1st isaaq
2nd gadabursi

ucid 1st harti
2nd isaaq

udub 1st gadabursi
2nd isaaq

in this way somaliland can have qabiil free elections

The elections would solicit followers from the Majority of the population, it would became a thing that bonds all Sland residents, a fun event full of jokes and laughter damn even if you don't get recongnition this type of internal bonding and Nationalistic attitudes would make the people view their relative poverty with a smile... Sland WANTS international recognition but NEEDS internal recognition from it's population. If you have that it is more valuable then that which you want. More would invest from diasporaand non slanders alike i think this would give options that far out weight anything you expect from internation recognition.

55 African countries are recognised internationally, however the ones that are doing well are the ones that have their own population recognising their nation and investing in it even if it means being more tolerant to poverty.

Self recognition

cirwaaq iam gona ask you question out of this topic though its is not analysed and discused oftenly
how do you see the idea of united somalia with capital and presidency are both from somaliland

hargaysaay wrote:cirwaaq iam gona ask you question out of this topic though its is not analysed and discused oftenly
how do you see the idea of united somalia with capital and presidency are both from somaliland

Personally i don't really understand how individuals who claim to be professors the likes of the Samater brothers could have ever invented such a strategy and i am well aware they did or were central to it's inception. United Pan somalia should happen as a natural and eventual act when all the land belonging to somalis address their own issues, stabilise their regions and develop their economies.

Our fore father tried and failed simply because our people are not ready for such a move.

Reviving the republic at this time which entails the union of somalia and somaliland will not work simply because the issues of koonfur would become neglected with all the concerns and develoment happening in the north. The north would develop while the south is retain merely as the state cash crop even if stability is restored, population would migrate north closer to the capital as out parents already witnessed in 1960 with the influx in moqadishu of everyone who had the means to travel.

Pan somalia will and should happen but as a secondary objective and priority should be given to the development of the 5 states and their relations represented voluntery union and until people understand that they will continue to push the concept further into the grave.

It does not benefit the average person in moqadishu to have the capital and president in Hargiesa or Gerowe. However our unelected corrupt puppets are being manupilated to accept such a strategy only as a means to end the stance of Somaliland. The holly grail of somalia's politics is finding a way to make somalilanders interested in the dead republic. This without even evaluating the significance of Somalilanders to creating a peacefull koonfur.

Somaliweyn will only happen when the 5 in seek independence and volunteer to join the union. There is no compulsion in union. Otherwise it has Zero relavence.

Going of topic.

Somaliweyn needs rebranding no regurgitation. What needs to happen at this current stage in order for the rebirth of somaliweyn to happen.

- Creation of a council of 5 members representing the 5 regardless of the current political condition of the 5.
- These council of 5 each representing their respective state begin to lay down the foundations required to allign the strategies of the 5 so as to set long term objectives.
- Powerless as they are they would represent a steering measure adopting new strategies and cooperating on foreign policy, security, trade, development, education, health.. etc
- They would represent the voice of advocacy required to instil greater pan somali bonds and strengthening ties.
- They would support objectives of each state internally and externally to better deliver for each state the conditions necessary to bring them closer to the grand objectives of somaliweyn.

Example: If somaliweyn is best served with initially focusing on the indepedence of somaliland as a prerequisite and a 1st miles stone for that state then all 5 council members would promote that strategy from their respective states.

In my view this is the sincerist way to deliver union of pan somalia, independent of clan determined aspirations and short term personal gains to each.

thanks for giving and sharing your point of view sxb

but still you have not directly aswered my question do you mr cirwaaq think taking and moving the leader ship to north is gona help re build somalia abd and restore the stability that was lost 1991

Cirwaaq bro, there's no such thing as somaliweyne. Not if this forum is anything to go by.