As Armed Forces celebrate Silver Jubilee since its inception 25 years ago

By M.A. Egge

The Head of State H.E. Musa Bihi Abdi has made a milestone call for the Upper House of Parliament (The Elders’ House) known in local vernacular as the Guurti to be subjected to the election rigours through universal suffrage and that its regulations be formulated.

The President made the appeal in a historical speech that also called for the major stakeholding political inter-parties dialogue to make sure that the elections are held in time.

He at the same time reiterated Somaliland’s independence hence that the nation would guard its territorial integrity at all times.

H.E. President Bihi expressed his sentiments while he was addressing yesterday the Armed Forces as they celebrated their Silver Jubilee since its inception.

The Military was restructured and inaugurated 25 years ago todate.

He inspected a military guaride mounted up in his honour, toured several structures constructed at the military headquarters and inaugurated the solar system electrification implemented in buildings within the army perimters, including the officers’ mess.

The President noted that a nation has security, statutory egulations and economy issues to chart out its course and future.

Putting the three in the preference stated, the president underscored the need to prioritize security affairs and bolstering its apparatus; thus the security arms, their facilities and their apparatus.

He saluted members of the military and their family hence hailed them for their steadfast and selfless diligence to the cause of nationhood and peaceful stability.

The President wondered that the neighbourinng country of Somalia has perpetually and persistently exerted efforts of stunting Somaliland by shadow boxing and belatedly waging economic and propaganda wars on and on without end.

He wondered why the Farmajo/ Kheyre administration would not focus on what was necessary for their people and instead of engaging battles in vain to the detriment of his subjects.

Saying that the territorial bounderies were sacrosanct as to the time of independence todate and that re-aligning them to tribal ones was an engagement in futility.

He cited examples of democracy in practice as that of Somaliland and not that of Somalia which reminded the likes of Prof. Samatar and Prof. Buubaa that they were aliens in Mogadishu and had to return to Somaliland.

He reiterated the country’s nationhood, independence and her conviction of defending her territorial borders.

In the same breath of perfecting democratization, the President touched a grey area never touched by seating president before or any politician formidably by calling for the enaction of a clause to subjecting the Guurti to election vigours.

The President said that was ironic for a nation to claim observing democracy while its own upper house of parliament is in place for over three decades having had its members appointed (selected) in 1988; and that most of those seated in the Guurti today are heirs to their deceased parents.

He said that the claim of democracy and practicing of kingdomship was quite incongruous and inapplicable.

The issue of subjecting the Guurti to elections is one that subsequent Somaliland administrations have avoided but after the complete transition from traditional to multiparty governance, the President H.E. Musa Bihi becomes the first leader in the country’s history to bravely take to set issues right.

As concerns the upcoming general elections that was recently re-scheduled by 9 months hence slated for December this year, the President called for the major stakeholders, thus the three official political parties, to thrash out minor bones of contention therein hence see to it that the elections are thereof held in time.

The President pointed out that the prioritization of holding of elections surpasses partisan interest and petty issues.

He said that his administration and the ruling party were convicted to making sure that the elections are held as scheduled.

To the neighbours and the world at large, the president took the chance at the auspicious occasion to reiterate Somaliland’s policy of good neighborliness, breathrenship, and peaceful stability.

The minister of defense Hon. Issa Ahmed Yusuf took his time to hail the military hence the Head of the Armed Forces Major General Nouh Ismael Tani gave a re-cup of the developments and progress that they achieved over the past year.