Hargeisa, 22 Jul 2009 (Somalilandpress) — Somaliland’s biggest donors have warned the country explicitly or implicitly that aid assistance for the election may be cut or ended unless there is a satisfactory outcome to the post-election crisis including the replacement of at least two members of the National Electoral Commission (NEC).
The UK, the biggest donor, Sweden, the second biggest donor, and number of other Western nations are currently in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to deliberate whether or not to release the funding for the Presidential election scheduled for 27 September.
The donors came under pressure after President Rayale failed to remove NEC chairman, Mr Jama Mohamoud, and his deputy, Mr Ali Bikalo, who had been accused of corruption and believe to be “inept and incompetent” for the job.
The British ambassador to Ethiopia, Mr Norman Ling, a Norwigian delegation and Swedish Ambassador to Kenya, Ms Anna Brandt are expected to travel to the Somaliland capital, Hargeisa today to deliver their decision to President Rayale, leaders of the opposition parties and the Speakers of the two Houses of Parliament.
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Many suspect President Rayale of stirring up political crisis and unrests in the young democratic state after failing to fulfill election premises for the third time. Recent tribal conflicts in the West and the arrest of independent journalists may have also left donors furious and alienated.
Now, the donors are reluctant to give, having in the past made mistakes of funding African states that never deliver the promises.
Donors expressed the importance of ensuring their money is put to good use and that Western taxpayers have right to know where their money is spent. The dilemma for donors is that cuts in aid certainly first hit those they’re intended to help: democratization in Somaliland and possibly stability.
When they meet later today, the donors will demand the removal of the two commissioners; who they feel can not be trusted with their money but most analysts believe President Rayale, would properly refuse and insist his government will fund 80 percent of the election.
More Somalilanders are getting frustrated with the current regime and the continues Presidential term extensions.
Source: Somalilandpress
This Rayale is out off control I'm telling you, Somalilanders need to remove his old incompetent regime and give someone else ago, I'm tired of this useless guy and his old qat addict ministers. Bunch of useless morons, they think been government is going around to arrest people and meeting foreign delegations to beg, what an idiots they never been to school.
I fully agree with you Kayse. these are people unable to get any other jobs either within Somaliland itself or abroad. they are uneducated and deceitful.
what should we do as young Somalilanders? the country belongs to us younger people.
Abdi Mohamed. London
Yes it's true the country belongs to us, I was never a fan of these old guys and their khat habits too. I think any thing is better than Rayale even Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in Mogadishu. Rayale is the most inept leader Somaliland has seen the guy is sleep walking, I dont even know what kind of people consider him a president. He is not my president but I respect the majority's choice but I think his time has ran out, he got exposed.
Time for a change, the reason Somaliland is not recognized is because of Rayale's stooge regime, bunch of statues.
People get a new leader, Rayale is old and over. Lets dust our hands.
i am really am tired of this guy riyale and his regime, walahi if we don't do something now things will only get worse! we really do need to start doing something instead of just watching him mess the country up.
we the younger somalis need to start writing letters to the government and holding demonstrations against them!
walahi they are uselles, we have proven gas and oil reserves and it still hasn't been drilled. they just sit their and steal the money and chew qat.
they just suck up to the white governments and they still don't get jack form them. why don't these fools start doing business with the chinese to get our oil and gas drillled so that our people can have jobs and our country can get developed?
they really do need to go and they need to go in the next election and if they delay it then we need to get rid of them by force! for real!
i agree with u all and the country belongs to us so we have to do something to stop riyaale before he distroy the country
where as puntland is working hard in 2009 for the lost precious time in between 2006 and 2008, i can tell the progress of somaliland has gone somewhat slower then the previous years, rayaale made some tactical mistakes, …even though that move that he made to capture laas canood when puntland army and finance was in mogadishu was quit a move, ,,,,even though he is again mobilizing a section of the somaliland army which is stationed in laas canood to awdal/gabiley area …….. can u hear the faqash sound marching towards laas canood with general ilkajeer upfront
We all agree that RIYAALE should go, but How he should be thrown out?
it is not that simple to get rid off Riyale's government with force.. because this simply means a civil war which I don’t think we are looking for curently, we all know that Riyale is bad and the worse to come so in my opinion it is always better for somalilanders to elect riyale again coz I think he and his fellows done with somaliland robbery and if they have dignity left they should focus on Somaliland recognition and get it as soon as possible also I believe the other 2 parties are the same if not worse.
but if we elect the other party i think they will take at least 5 years to finish the same robbery as Riyale's goverment did. Logic.. waa somali .. deentoodunaa waa lacaq ..:)
Riyaale has got to go. If not, there will be another civil war. How can people accept this? Why are there no peaceful demonstrations for an election? He has done nothing for Somaliland. No recognition, no development and a reversal of the democratic process. Somaliland was regarded as ' Africa's best kept secret'. But now stories are all over the press about killings, arrests and continual postponement of elections.
Riyaale has to be impeached.
I think Somaliland has given him a fair go, it's time for him to go! When Egal past away people accepted him and respected the constitution but he is not doing the same once again we get a politician who is over staying – this is why I feel some times its not good to give everyone ago.
It's over he had 7 years, I was even a supporter of him but people get bored with old things, time to reinvent, renew, replace, relaunch. Rayale you are fired!
Please ,do not make a quick judgement on this issue, we do not know who is at fault here, whether the Government of Riyale or European Unions themself. Why are Interpeace are coming with this nonsense when they know the presidential election is very close? By demanding the removal of National election commissioners of sovernate state, how where appointed by the three parties and the upper house they are crossing the line, and Somaliland as a nation should't accept this.
Secondly, if these two commissioners are removed, there is no way election can be held on time Sept. 27th of this year. that means another pospondment, then who will be blamed?
Even though I'm not supporting any candidate for now, what interpeace and European uninion are doing, is denying the existance of Somaliland state, they should accept what we have now or get the hell out of our country.
No one is calling for violent removal of Rayale and his regime, we cant remove everyone by force every time, we as people have to come together and decide it peacefully and right now Rayale's usefullness seems to have ended so it's time for a new commander-in-chief to take over.
Im not afraid for civil war between the people of Somaliland, I'm afraid for civil war within Rayale's party. There are few good men in his cabinet that will refuse to support him and we will see it.
Guys. Guys. Stop with this Somali/Somalia business of yours especially Yonis who puts Somaliland and Somalia together we are two different countries. On this issue, I believe the government has no other choice but to fire the corrupt and incompetent election commision chairman and deputy chairman, the two men embezzeled large sums of donor money designated for the registration process and failed to provide the donors with accounts of where the money was spent or even receipts. Lets be fair here, they these men are corrupt to the core and are in bed with the government of equally failed leader Dahir Riyale Kahin whose term expired long ago and is planning to postpone the elections again. The youth of Somaliland need to get together and reclaim power from these oldmen who failed us in everyway imaganable