January 21, 2014
The
formality and the timewereweird, unprecedented, and unwise way of managing such
an important political event. So far, it is not clear the reasons behind this
clumsy policy decision making process and political event that took 37 days of
planning. Unusually, the President and the Speaker of parliament did not attend
the ceremony for the announcement ofthe new Cabinet.The presidential
spokesperson issued press releasesaying the president has approved the new
cabinet. No information about the administrative actions between the President
and PM’s offices on the subject for public record.
The
PM personally read out the names of the Cabinet members without providing their
background in terms of full name, education, experience, clan affiliation in
conformity with the power sharing parliamentary representation formula, and cabinet
Department. This first step did not augur hopeful future.
The
new Cabinet is composed of 56 members- the Prime Minister, 25 ministers, 5
state ministers, and 25 deputy ministers.One positive development is that all
positions have been filled at once and no state minister has been appointed to
the presidency. With the exception of few new faces, the 56 new cabinet members
belong to six intersecting groups:
1. Corruption kingpins/graduates group. The
leaders of the federal government did not bother to consider the UN Monitoring Group reports for
the disqualification of certain individuals for past reportedmalfeasances;
2. Nightlife group. This group includesmembers
of parliament (MPs), instrumental for fomenting political chaos. They are
peddlers of political corruption.
3. Anti-Sovereignty, independence, and
dignity of the Somali people group; Members of this group are ardent supporters
of foreign agenda against national agenda and solidarity. The prolonged political
chaos in Somalia has convinced few unscrupulous and selfish individuals to seek
self-enrichment opportunitiesby presenting themselves as faithful agents toforeign
countries.
4. Opponents of the Constitutional power
sharing formula on political representation to gain political power outside the
agreed clan formula. This group wants to continue civil hostilities and
dissonance.
5. Members of religious group Al Islah-Damul
Jadid. The cabinet members associated with the group are more than 30.
Selection based on Religious group membership over clan and competence
consideration complicates Somali politics.
6. Members of former incompetent cabinet voted
out by the federal parliament. The leaders of the federal government missed the
point that politicians lose the qualification for appointment for political
considerations in addition to the constitutional criteria.Political appointees
are not like civil service employees.
It
seems that advancing theinterests and priorities of Somalia andthe respect of
the constitutional goals and political representation among the Somali people
were not the guiding principles for the selection of the new Cabinet members. The
discrimination among former Shirdon Cabinetmembers hadfuelledthe intense debate
and criticisms that would further weaken the federal government.
In
the context of Somali politics, the growing perception is that the composition
of the new Cabinet undermines the high expectation conferred on the federal
government leaders. Some observers are of the opinion that the former Speaker
and minister of finance Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan has secured the inclusion of
his diehard allies in the cabinet. Thisreinforces the view that the federal
government accepted the inevitability of Somalia’s disintegration, subscribed
to the surrender policy, and decided to empower elements of anti-sovereignty,
independence, and dignity of Somali people.
The
media has particularly focused on the powerful Ministers of finance (Hussein
Abdi Halane), justice and constitution (Farah Abdulkhadir), interior and
federalism (Abdullahi Godax), internal security (Abdikarim Guled), and defense
(Gen. Mohamed Sheikh). All sorts of unflattering allegations against these
ministries have dominated the conversation among Somalis. Cartoonist Amin Amir
reflectedthe substance ofthe conversation in his daily cartoons.
As
Federalism and constitutional review are politically very sensitive issues for
the future of Somalia, the new ministries of interior and federal affairs, of
internal security, and of justice and constitutionattract particular attention. The experience of the roadmap and provisional
constitution, of the Jubbaland State agreement in Addis Ababa, and of Baidoa
Conference on South West state, has dented the credibility of the federal
government on federalism and state building and casts shadow on them.
Arbitrary
decisions and actions without reference to credible and transparent deliberative
decision making process is feeding public discontent and anger and could trigger
social eruption that could reverse the progress made so far in the fight
against terrorism for building peace and state institutions. The pointed questions
asked President Hassanin his appearance at Universal TV tell a lot
about the public opinion towards the performance of the federal government.
The
indifference to respond to the increasing complain about unfairness, injustice,
lack of participation, corruption, abuse of political power, marginalization, fraudulentpolitical
representation, insecurity, and ill-consideredsupport of governancestructures
without legal framework encourages the culture of cynicism and defeats the
common national and international goals of peace, stability and prosperity in
Somalia. Complain about underrepresentation is linked to overrepresentation and
it merits redress.
Thefederal
parliament approved the new Cabinet because of external maneuvers, corruption,
and article 67 of the provisional constitution. But, there are three possible
scenarios as consequences after this new cabinet:
I.
The new
cabinet will represent the end of any national nominal government in Somalia
and the fate of Somalia will be decided by the neighboring countries before
2016;
II.
In
reaction to the political and constitutional transgressions, a popular revoltcould
take place before 2015;
III.
The
country will remain in perpetual turmoil to the detriment of all.
The
leaders of the federal government shoulder grave responsibilities in this dark
circumstance and the current indifference or self-serving approach is not the proper
response for facing the overwhelming challenges of Somalia. Political courage,
wisdom, sense of patriotism and conviction, and other leadership
skills hold the key for turning around the worrisome prospect of the country.
Mr. Mohamud M
Uluso
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