Vote for the Right Leadership

Sept. 5.2004 Radio free Somalia (RFS)

By Mohamud M.Uluso

I am pleased to congratulate the 275 members of the newly formed Somali Transitional Federal Parliament and wish them success. The Members of the Parliament are the trustees of the Somali People's will and opinion. As Allah ordered the believer: “ O you who believe! Betray not the trust of Allah and the Messenger nor misappropriate knowingly things entrusted to you.” (Anfaal, 8:27). The MPs are accountable first to Allah, the Almighty and to the People of Somalia. Accordingly, they are expected to live up to their Oath.

There is merit to the criticism leveled against the legitimacy of the process for selecting parliamentarians based on clan identification. The majority of Somalis will probably accept the MPs' authority because they recognize that the clan-based selection process was the second best option. However, the ultimate acceptance of the process hinges on the MPs' ability to quickly and effectively address the country's problems. I wish that the people's hope will not end in disillusionment.

The Parliament is the foundation of the new Somali State and represents the people's power. All MPs have the collective responsibility of defending the Constitution which guarantees peaceful coexistence, stability and justice for every citizen. The success of the new Federal Government will largely depend on the proper functioning of the State Institutions: the Parliament, the Presidency, the Council of Ministers and the Judicial system. More importantly, the personalities elected to lead those institutions are key to the success of Somali nation's revival. Our past experience can hinder both to the proper working of these institutions and a system of checks and balances.

Furthermore, the new adopted Constitution is imperfect because it introduces new controversial federal principles of power-resource-sharing and it is also easily amendable by Parliament. These issues could impede the proper functioning of the nascent government unless the President, the Speaker, the Chief Justice and the Prime Minister are persons of impeccable integrity, responsibility and wisdom. No doubt the Somali people are facing the serious challenge of knowledgably identifying good potential leaders in whom they can safely place their trust after their negative experience with the former politicians, warlords and the Arta TNG.

The Hon. Ismail Omar Ghelle, President of the Republic of Djibouti- and a hero to the Somali people - raised the Somali Flag throughout the international community by initiating the process of national reconciliation after 10 years of civil strife. This led to the formation of the well-celebrated Arta TNG (Transitional National Government). Unfortunately, Arta TNG's ultimate failure has resulted in loss of public confidence in a promising future. On the positive side, many ardent opponents of his genuine Somali reconciliation initiative, including Abdullahi Yusuf and Muse Sudi, admitted their mistakes and apologized to him.

Arta TNG failed because of the following fundamental reasons:

The leadership lacked political vision with nation-building strategy, and a commitment to institutional building capacity of a democratic government.

The leadership ignored the Constitution's supremacy and the principles of good governance, beginning with accountability.

The leadership sanctioned unethical public administration conduct.

The leadership failed to pursue a sensible Foreign Policy Strategy. A legitimate government can gain international political and financial support only with the combination of credible plan, sustained diplomatic efforts and good governance.

The leadership's priority remained that of power abuse, never-ending squabble, and self-serving activities.

The Transitional National Assembly (TNA) abdicated its collective and primary responsibility of defending the Constitution and good governance requirements.

These are lessons for the incoming federal government. The Arta TNG's claims of accomplishment perpetuate the culture of cynicism. It is part of the practices of guile and distortion glamorized during the dictatorial rule. This destructive culture must be defeated once for all because it is contrary to a constitutional democratic Republic. The new political leaders should refrain from making meaningless and nonsensical claims to achieve political advantage. These would only deepen the public's mistrust and bring scorn upon the political leadership. A legitimate government must distinguish from the warlords by following the rule of law and implementing public policy decisions.

As we know, the Somali people experienced political corruption that led to clan wars, the collapse of all government institutions and the disintegration of Somali society's moral fabric. To reverse this tragic situation, the parliamentarians have the primary responsibility to assure to the Somali people that the new government's leaders can effectively lead the country on the path of stability, rehabilitation and the pursuit of social justice. It is reasonable to assume that the new government will face internal and external opposition as well as insufficient international support. The new leaders must accept the responsibility of overcoming present and future obstacles. And they should do so without blaming others for personal or collective failure.

Based on their oaths, the parliamentarians have a duty to vote for responsible leaders: President, Speaker, Prime Minister, Ministers and Judges. The parliamentarians must assess not only each candidate's plan to address the current Somali problems, but also whether each candidate possesses the strong personal character needed for implementing the plan. Good leader's traits include integrity, honesty, impartiality, vision, competence, responsibility, dedication, patience and humility. Many Somalis have misgivings about most of the candidates whose names are published so far. These perceptions should be addressed seriously, transparently and satisfactorily. The MPs must listen deeply to their conscience and to the opinions of those they represent and they must vote for a Speaker and a President who will earn the public's trust and support. Somalia is on a cliff and in imminent danger of falling off -- forever. It is the parliamentarians' urgent duty to not allow this to happen.

Each MP bears the responsibility not to be an accomplice of the continuation of the current disaster in Somalia . Each vote cast will make a difference. If the Mbagathi government fails, history will harshly judge all MPs. I appeal to MPs' sense of patriotism and personal responsibility to make sure they vote for the Somali people's interest and well-being. Once again I call upon all MPs to exercise their authority to change our country's destiny for the better.

Allah helps those who help themselves.

Dr.Mohamud M.Uluso (PhD)
E-mail:mohamuduluso@scbglobal.net