By Osman Awad
President Muse has been ruling the country for almost one year and two months, but still he has not yet accomplished any factual task. So far, he did not achieve any major breakthrough tasks that the Somaliland people expected from him. Goal settings and goal achievements are easier if you make a plan for a path to follow so the goal can be accomplished. President Bihi has not yet shown any signs of a plan to follow in accomplishing the presidential successful goals.
The first expectation that the Somaliland people had is for the president to conduct the House of Representative and Local government election on time with as a free and fair election, and as a first test, he failed. The previous government assigned the elections on March 29, 2019. As long as Somaliland claims the multiparty system and democracy, it is mandatory to conduct the elections through representative and other institutions like Local Councillors. A democratic government must be conducted through representatives. Elections make a fundamental contribution to democratic governance.
Secondly, he appointed a fledgling cabinet. In modern society, the cabinets must be experienced, competence and capability. Two-third of his cabinets are young and barely have skills with public policy and administration. Government civil servant needs to have public sector knowledge. Most key ministers did not even work the public sector at all. Some of them were used to work narcotic drugs like Khat and some of them used to work odd jobs overseas.
Somaliland does not need 32 cabinets ministers. Our population is not more than 4 million; therefore, Somaliland people can notably to have more than 5 cabinets minister. Somaliland cannot avoid paying their salaries for 32 cabinet ministers. As we know, our neighbouring country, Ethiopia has a population that is approximately 107 million; according to worldometers in the year of 2018. Ethiopia’s cabinet ministers are 55, and half of them are women whereas President Bihi only appointed two women to his cabinets.
Thirdly, for the seven years that President Siilaanyo nominally had power, Somaliland had been a power vacuum and non-elected members took the power. President Siilaanyo did not rule the nation, but his tribal nephews and his wife were proxy and ruled the nation. The wealth of the nation fell in the hands of the corrupted ministers; the election of the Houses as well as president was postponed without dire circumstances such as a wide war, internal instability, and serious natural disasters. The Somaliland people have been waiting from the president and appointed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The commission must be assigned to find the facts that what happened during previous governments. For example, what was wrong with the timing of the conductions of the President Elections and the reasons behind the extension of the Presidents’ terms for two years without proving any dire circumstances happening? Why does the House of Representatives have longer terms that were non-assigned by the constitution? Why does the House of Elders become the monarchy and inherent institutions whereas it was known that the constitution limited their terms to 6 years?
What was the reason behind the first lady’s business in the country while the Somaliland constitution clearly states Article 85: Matters in which the President and the Vice-President are not allowed?
- The President and the Vice-President and their spouses shall not engage in any business activities during their term of office. Why some ministers have taken the public property that could and would not have authority or power for approved the ownership by president, Vice president, the chairperson of the parliament to any person.
In a democratic society, the governments provide affordable housings to those who cannot afford the market rent. Most of the developed countries set up and facilities for the low income household rent-geared-to-income subsidy; in contrast, the current President and his preceded have been exhilarated to award the government houses to the big businesses owners and its political cronies.
Because of the corruption, nepotism and lack of employment, every year thousands of the Somaliland youth have been killed by human traffic in the Europe and Mediterranean Sea since the Kulmiye party held power. Seems to me, the current president Mr. Muse Bihi Abdi does not have the ability and competent to tackle the huge task ahead for him and at the same time will not gain any tangible job so far.
