How to Maintain the Democratic Momentum in Puntland State of Somalia

[Deeq A.]

Siyad Ali Jama:”Puntland started the first leg of a long democratic journey whose destination is constant refinement of the democratic norms.”

The pilot local government elections conducted in Eyl, Qardho and Ufayn have shown what people are capable of doing when they decide to modernise their governance. Puntland started the first leg of a long democratic journey whose destination is constant refinement of the democratic norms. This conception of democracy should dispel any pessimistic assessment of the nascent democratisation process in Puntland State of Somalia.

It should, however, not lead us to think that the electoral outcomes will give the old winner-take-all system a new lease of life. The impression that leaders of the three successful political organisations hail from the same district clan wise might dampen the spirit of ardent supporters of the democratisation process. This unexpected outcome gives credence to the argument of several political organisations that the political process is rigged against them. If the electoral outcomes are interpreted as field-testing for the democratisation process to conduct local government elections in all Puntland districts, political stakeholders will be able to maintain the democratic momentum.

An unexpected electoral outcome: Asad Abdullahi, the leader of Mideeye (left), Mohamud Khalif Hassan, the leader of Justice and Equality (middle) and President Said Abdullahi Deni, the leader of Kaah.

Since 1998 Puntland has been an autonomous administration that distinguished itself through a staid political process that places premium on rotating the presidency among a select group of leaders.

A leader with a mandate to rule Puntland has powers over the legislature, making the autonomous administration the most centralised and the most ardent pro-federalism sub-national polity. The democratisation process aims to rectify this political anomaly. Economically, Puntland is facing is facing tougher challenges, some of them are self-inflicted, others are common national setbacks. Bosaso Port remains underdeveloped despite the questionable agreement with DP World. President Said Abdullahi Deni recently blamed the Federal Government of Somalia for opposing the deal with DP World although Mogadishu has never given the green light to hand over the management of the port to DP World. Youth unemployment and lack of investment in public services are two pressing economic problems resulting from missed political opportunities.

The main lesson from the twenty plus years of Puntland’s tradition-bound political system is that political stakeholders’ attitude will determine the success of the democratisation process. One yardstick by which the democratisation process will be judged is the extent to which MPs and district councillors are accountable to their constituencies. If the perception that the executive controls the legislature and district authorities persists, the democratic experiment in Puntland will have been a false dawn.

By Siyad Ali Jama, Puntland Post columnist.

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