The Somaliland presidential election that will have been expected to take place on 26th June 2015 has been postponed 17 Months by the upper house of the Somaliland known as Gurti. Although the National Electoral Commission set out the date on the 1st June 2015, it was overridden by the Gurti who had set the election date on 17th April 2017. The Upper House has the prerogative to extend the president’s mandate, if there was a reason that election could not be held timely. That power was not enshrined in the constitution but it was evolved as a customary law – the House previously had used it for the last two presidents. Before exercising their rights to extend the president’s mandate, it set up a committee of 30 members within to examine the earliest date the election could be held, including the circumstance that are endemic in certain parties of the country, in particular, the most remote areas in the eastern peripheries. This article looks into the validity of the Gurti into extending the president’s term to seventeen months, and furthermore explains why Somaliland should suspend dealing with the head of the European Mission to Somalia and Somaliland, Mr Michele Carvone D’ Urso – an Italian national. Evidences are based on my network contacts of politicians across the political spectrum in Somaliland and the media coverage.
It was an extremely arduous depravation to Somaliland that Mr D’ Urso had attempted to dwindle the authority of the Upper House. To this end, he fatuously influenced one of the Somaliland opposition parties, called Waddani, to take their supporters out to the streets to demonstrate against the extension of the President’s term. It was an unacceptable behaviour transgressing the dignity of the country. With similar approaches he had made to the other opposition party called UCID party, it was said to be refuted – he was told off that he had been wrong to suggest a naive views that could potentially destabilise the country . Persuading political parties into attempting to hold violent demonstrations by Mr D’Urso, it appears to have been a disrespectful to the authority – compelling evidence suggests to have committed activities beyond his mission.
Deluding local opposition parties into fomenting lawlessness and chaos to bring Somaliland back to the union with Somalia by coercion Mr Michele Carvone D’ Urso, he had patronised the patriotism of Somaliland people. He is said to be under the influence of the Somalia president who has been working with the Arab league, Turkey and Djibouti to creating a coalition set into mission to bring Somaliland back to the union with Somaliland. Having failed to bring about peace in Somalia with tens of thousands of African Union armed forces, he is confined to his heavily fortified presidential compound. With his movement around his capital is ferried by African Union armoured personnel carrier – last year he narrowly escaped death and capture from AL Shabab whom had stormed his presidential place and came within few yards to his office. However, he tenaciously obsessed exporting lawlessness to Somaliland with the help of Mr D’ Urso EU who has brought in to disrepute his office in MFIA style to pocket millions at the expense of Somaliland people.
With regards to the postponement of the presidential election, it derails the democratisation but could have been avoided if the EU Mission had delivered timely their commitment – 75% of Somaliland election cost is met by the EU. Whilst this support is appreciated, the current perspectives held by the general public of Somaliland conceptualised donor countries to be causing more harm than good. This hypothesis was also supported by the Somaliland Upper House, including who had elaborated on extending the president’s term that Somaliland’s international partners should not interfere with local decisions.
As International Aid Agencies were borne out in response to the endemic culture of corruption in developing world, there is now strong evidence to suggest that high ranking officials from aid agencies are thought to be involved in criminality, including fraud and prostitution in Somaliland and Somalia. To combating the manifestation of such activities by the Aid agencies officials, the authority of Somaliland should commission a committee to investigate into this alleged corruption to be at an industrial scale. The latter was a reminiscent the GTZ head to Somaliland who had been caught in a huge prostitution ring. That official was jailed and deported to his country. It is intrinsically imperative to probe them of corruption and prostitutions. The latter will help to combating the prevention and the spread of HIV/AIDS – it will also reduce its morbidity and mortality.
Finally, this article conveys a strong message to the officials of Somaliland international partners to respect the will of the people – and not to be a part of political disputes that may obliterate locally defused democratisation – furthermore, it should not to be prerequisite for local institutions to compromise their powers invested in under Somaliland institution to release election funding. Succinctly, Somaliland people are very appreciative to the assistance provided by their European partners but should not succumb to their dignity at any cost. As the head of the EU mission has been beset destabilising our country; my advice to the president of Somaliland is to immediately suspend him from transecting business with him.
Ahmed Abdi Isse
An academic
Isseahmed@hotmail.com