What kind of Government System for the Somali Democratic Republic

[Gabbal]

Choose the most likely system that will bring long-term peace and mutual cooperation to Somalia.

[SomaliaOnline-President]

I voted Federal.

[Baashi]

I voted for Republic! I'm against the idea of the institutionalized triblasim plus I think Somalis are not matured enough to embrace federalism...and if u really pay attantion to the political discourse of the current reconciliation effort u will notice this creepy process of legitimizing a system of governence in which the tribes(they hate each other) are debicted as the main political forces that will shape the incoming government. Thus the federalism is reduced, in this context, a union of tribes...each tribe is composed of sub-clans, and by the time these sub-clans settle their diffrences...we will be left a ineffective, polorized, and disintegrated polity, where every project in regional importance is seen as a one that benefits to a particular sub-clan and thus blocked by other sub-clans. In my book, federalism is a disaster in the waiting...it may be seen as temporary solution to these hard-headed warlords (who are presenting themselves as the spokesmen to their tribe and asking the share for their respective clans) so we can move on to reconstitute a functioning state.

 

A republic will not cure every problem but it will be a vehechile that could establish a population that do not think along the lines of collective entitlement just because they are from particular tribe e.g. president is for tribe X, secod highest office goes to tribe Y, PM office is put aside for tribe Z...this pre-ordained entitlement is a disaster. Republic will encourage regional autonomies where districts are contested for political office. Regional autonomies will submit to the will of the strong central government that has power to enforce contracts and its empowered to regulate property rights..etc. Instead of tribe being office gaurantor, district will take that helm...and districts or 'degmooyin' will be awarded to regional governments by the central govt. by set of criteria...1)must have poplution of 100,000. 2)must be able to provide basic social services to its citizens. U know what will happen..all the nomads will build their respective districts and join forces to win as much district as they could to have shot in political offices...even if the tribalism goes through new metamorphesis it will be to the better and will have tangible benefits and positive contribution to the citizens.

 

I don't pretend to know the complexity of our predicment but I know one thing which is that Tribalism is so destructive and it has no STOP sign..it keeps dividing to the sub-sub-sub clan. And anyone suggesting to give real legitimized incentive to work over time...does not see what i think I see...it seems that everyone embraces federalism...may Allah help us.

[miles-militis]

Dear Bashi,

Now that we witnessed federalism to have been adopted at the Nairobi conference and autonomous region, tribal or otherwise, perhaps against your wish, are to be forged at the whim of a future government, do you not agree that time has beckoned for us, Somalis to have to reason with our minds, accept clan structure in our political structure warps and all, and recognise its involvement in peaceful negotiations as an effective instrument in reaching congruous end goal?

 

Accepting this system of governance, would not you concur is simply realising prevalent condition in present day Somalia? If no, and I doubt you would advocate for a system of government resembling that of the centralist doctrine practised by the then military regime, and suspecting that you would go along with the accepted wisdom at least amongst political scholars of refraining from the deeds of committing oneself to the prescription of replica decree of governance deemed panacea in nature, though non-indigenous, where failed states including Somalia are concerned, where do you reckon one could look to find a befitting resolution to the predicament that has befallen Somalia?

 

Cheers.

[Muhammad]

Islamic Republic of Somalia

 

federalism will only cultivate our problem of tribalism even more. we need a strong central goverment that has power but also checks and balances. The best way to achieve this is to elect leaders who are just and have Islamic morals and characters.

 

Allah knows best!

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Salaan...

 

Originally posted by Baashi:

I voted for Republic! I'm against the idea of the institutionalized triblasim plus I think Somalis are not matured enough to embrace federalism...federalism is reduced a union of tribes...each tribe is composed of sub-clans, and by the time these sub-clans settle their diffrences...we will be left a ineffective, polorized, and disintegrated polity, where every project in regional importance is seen as a one that benefits to a particular sub-clan and thus blocked by other sub-clans.

Thank you very much, indeed, Mr Baashi. Exactly what I always said. Laakiin yaa ku dhageysanaayo.

 

And by the way, the idea of federalism was rejected almost 50 years ago when it was initiated and suggested by the people who live primarily Baay and Bakool regions. That fikrad was rejected by no other than those who advocate it now. Why they had rejected the federalism concept before is mysterious. Perhaps, their power-base is shrank, and only federalism would they think to achieve that power back into glorious days.

__________________

 

Macsalaama.

[Baashi]

MMA, I hear u sxb. Conquest we're on the same page bro. I thought I was a loner but look who I share this view...Mansha'Allah.

 

Mr Samurai Warrior,

To begin with, I’m in favor of ending our predicament by any means necessary. The type of the future government of Somalia is a secondary issue – at least from my vantage point. Having said that, if I were in the conference, I would have proposed something to this effect: Two layer system. The first ring being autonomous regions and the second being viable central authority. In this form of government, regional governments recognize the sovereignty of a central authority while retaining certain residual powers of government. Note that regions, not tribes, are the basic building blocks in this type of federalism. Given the former military junta, their authoritarian nature, and its terrible legacy, it is understandable that most Somalis will be very suspicious to centralized system of governance. Couple that with the fierce opposition to this idea by the relatively successful recovery zones, my proposition has no or little chance, if any, to be considered.

 

Secondly, accepting the inevitability of clan influence in our political discourse is one thing; advocating tribalism as the only viable political platform in which our future Somali state should be founded on is quite different thing. The former is merely acknowledging the fact we are a nation comprising several tribal communities. The later is promoting a culture of entitlement that in turn breeds nepotism, injustice, and corruption. How one could expect meritocracy to take hold (an important prerequisite for good governance) in a political atmosphere where clan loyalty is the winning ticket?

 

Implicit in your last paragraph is the need of indigenous approach. I concur. But if the participants of the Nairobi conference were in mood of embracing traditional way of settling disputes, they would have given a serious consideration to the Garowe and Burco/Boorame gatherings. With no institutional capacity, the adjudication and assessment by the elders’ aka “isimo” who were considered to be impartial resulted a workable political solution. The prevailing wisdom was and still is once the peace and the rule of law takes hold, these two zones will transition from clans merely coexisting and willing to nullify all previous grievances to modern provincial governments with laws on the books.

 

Finally, I’m a mere spectator looking in from outside hence my knowledge about how things are proceeding behind doors is limited. As principled individual, however, I’m of the opinion that union of tribes concocted as type of federalism and then presented as breakthrough is bound to fail. ‘Negative’ tribalism and bad leadership are the two main reasons all previous conferences failed and Allah forbid this last one seems to be heading the same direction.

[Rahima]

Islamic Republic of Somalia

I pray I live to see it. Even sweeter would be to see it as part of the re-establishment of the khalifa system.

 

BTW, democracy is against Islam, therefore to say a democratic Islamic state is nothing more than an oxymoron. In an Islamic state Allah is given sovereignty, whereas in a democratic state the people are given sovereignty. The Shariah is set and no amount of disagreement to it can change it.

[Liqaye]

Islamic republic of somalia

 

 

I am 100% against the idea of a federal republic in somalia especially as it has been formulated by the rent seekers and warlords of the past 13 failed confrences.

 

I belive that although the desicion making process will have to be quite decentralised in any future republic, a federation would be a fundamental mistake in our political discourse one that we will pay for very severly in open wounds left unattended and institutionalised hypocrisy (for to justify fedralism you must presuppose that the protection of diffrent cultures and ethniticies is paramount, in our case WHICH diffrent culture and ethnicity?)and clannism embroiderd with the legitamcy of the term FEDERAL REPUBLIC.

 

Secondly federalism is not a home grown idea, it has been adopted by the warlords and their supporters as a way of continuing their now legitimate feifdoms under the guise of federalism.

It has been adopted by ethiopia as a way of keeping somalia permenantly weakened.

And last but not least it does not adress the primary issue to come out of the civil-war namely CLANNISM, indeed as it is envisioned now, all it proposes is the duplication at lower levels of goverment all the ills and problems arising from unresolved political and tribalist issues.

 

More fundamentally one must ask ones self who will pay for this very expensive system that duplicates states functions in all provinces of somalia.

 

What about the fine print will their be a right of succession in the constitution....sorry for my lapse into naivete ... ..... of course their will be , picture jubba "state" seceding with Morgan as provisional president, picture all other states refusing, picture you, me and the nation plunging into another inferno.

 

It has to be an islamic country because we are all muslims and besides ........ that is the only goverment i will accept.

 

say it loud and proud I am a fundamentalist !

[Thinkerman]

I am a fundamentalist !

[Liqaye]

Rahima your posts are ALWAYS very intreasting and informative but i feel i have to clarify something.

 

Islam is a very democratic system, indeed the shariah is fixed but also men have been given considerble leeway under the SHURA system (consultation) to govern them selves under the sovreignty of the almighty.

 

Indeed if democracy is truth, how more thruthfull would an islamic democracy be?

[A.J. Timacadeh]

i am for the idea of islamic state that treats our people right.

[ferocious]

i second whoever said islamic republic of somalia

[Khayr]

Salaamz,

I see that some of you

have fallen in love with the slogan

'ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF SOMALIA'

 

Well, what are some of the nomads

defininations of a REPUBLIC?

I'm not reading Plato right now

but have some any of you read it.

 

What is a REPUBLIC?

[miles-militis]

Thank you Baashi for sharing your views on the subject matter. It would almost be impossible for me to be in disagreement with some of your desires and thinking, but then again what we desire is not quite what we possess. However, I’ll make an attempt to shed a light upon a theorem in your response which I trust might have been misconstrued, perhaps inadvertently, for which I hope you will not mind my reflecting upon it, as I wish we shall all gain from it.

 

“ … the first ring being autonomous regions and the second being viable central authority. In this form of government, regional governments recognize the sovereignty of a central authority while retaining certain residual powers of government ” This unless my memory fails me is the true textbook definition of what federalism entails, thus my bringing the topic back for discussion. And is not this what the adopted federal systems of government in accordance with the transitional charter advocate for? A federal government (the principal authority) with its executive, judicial and legislature branches with autonomous regions/states (the secondary authority). Do we seem to be opposing something which we actually truly embrace, which is common amongst many of us? Or I am reading your thoughts incorrectly?

 

Now, allow me to reflect upon the intricacies of three systems of governments in place today in the world (reference): Unitary, confederate, and federal.

 

A unitary system - A unitary system of government gives control of the government to one central government, and that central government has all of the power. The central government can regulate certain powers to local governments if they deem it necessary.

 

A confederal system - A confederal system of government is a group of independent states that form a central government that is very limited in power. In a confederal system, each state is ultimately given all powers to run their own state, and the central government is very weak

 

A federal system - A federal system of government is a combination of the unitary and the confederal systems. In a federal system of government, powers are divided among the central federal government and the state/regional governments. The powers given to these governments are usually listed in a written constitution.

 

If you glance at the second sentence in the definition of the federal system of government, you will note that in fact it agrees with one of your statements “ … In this form of government, regional governments recognize the sovereignty of a central authority while retaining certain residual powers of government. Note that regions, not tribes, are the basic building blocks in this type of federalism”

The primary reasons, which I believe most of us agree upon other than the few who consider centralism the only viable mode of governance, for opting a federal system over unitary system are: i) the desire for a political arrangement of convenience, where existing interests and tensions make power sharing imperative if the various groups involved are to come together, and ii) the need to preserve the special character and rights of diverse people who might otherwise be kept separate by differences in ideology, language, race, religion or economic status.

 

Here in retrospect, I am convinced you are a genuine federalist at heart albeit detest this mode of ideology on the basis of purely its non-indigenousness if nothing else, which I could go along with. Will you not agree with me in that my old chap? Even if no, perhaps then we will have attained some understanding of the conceptual underlining principles of the various genres of governances.

 

The desire to see an end to the Somali predicament I trust is something we all strive towards, how and in what format is where we seem to differ. The issue of tribe and its place in our society, virtues and all, which surprisingly most of you seem to have displayed sings of bête-noirs, is one thing which I believe if genuinely studied and implemented perhaps by the likes of Da Vinci could have resolved our quandary. Case in point in the recovery zones. What we desire (Islamic state) for ourselves in the ultimate and the actualities on the ground (statelessness) are too far apart. Go figure!

 

Shall welcome your feedback.

 

n/b: MMA- Bruv, could you be kind enough as to elaborate on this (That fikrad was rejected by no other than those who advocate it now) please?

Cheers.