Faisal Waraabe got it right

[Jacaylbaro]

As Somaliland slides towards tribal fragmentation in the run up to the presidential elections to be held early 2008, there is only one politician who has been correctly reading the signs of the impending doom and warning people against falling into the abyss.

 

Contrary to his brand rhetorical gaffes, Faisal Ali Waraabe has lately been using his words with caution and precision. At a time when the ruling UDUB and the major opposition Kulmiye parties have descended to their lowest by soliciting support through clan loyalties, Faisal decided to campaign on a national platform and rightly warned against the tribalization of Somaliland politics.

 

He is the only opposition politician who rejected to capitalize on the current political imbroglio resulting from the arrest of the leaders of “Qaran party”. While most of the opposition leaders in Kulmiye and even MPs from Faisal’s UCID party, including the Speaker of the Lower House, decided to put the cart before the horse, Faisal has again rightly behaved like a responsible and law abiding politician. He pointed out that it was the government’s duty to safeguard the country’s constitution and ensure that all citizens abide by its provisions. He also demanded that the arrested politicians be brought to court without any delay.

 

Measuring his moves wisely and carefully, he refused to go with the herd mentality of blanket condemnation of every action the government takes.

 

No one denies that the government has been committing blunder after blunder lately, particularly in its repeated and unwarranted detention of journalists. We all demand that the government should not infringe on citizens’ personal rights and stifle people’s freedom of expression, but it should also be known that as Faisal has rightly pointed out that the government is responsible for the country’s peace and stability. And with that comes obligations to make unpopular decisions and take tough actions on certain occasions.

 

The arrest of the “Qaran Party” leaders, as unpopular as it may seem to be, comes within the government’s legitimate jurisdiction to deal with situations it deems harmful to the stability, peace and security of the nation.

 

Regardless of the constitutional debate on the legitimacy of founding a political party other than the existing ones, it is the ABC of democratic systems that any person or group of persons who want to form a political grouping should go through legal registration and licensing procedures. Any attempt to create any form of political organization without going through the proper channels is not only an upfront to the constitution but reeks of sheer arrogance and selfish political opportunism.

 

It is also obvious from the government’s statements that the leaders of the “Qaran party” were not arrested for expressing their opinions as ordinary citizens per se, but they have been arrested for founding an illegal political party without going through the proper procedures. All that we should demand from the government now is to prove its accusation in a court of law and as soon as possible. It is there and then where the legality of the government’s action should be decided and not through tribal sentiments and emotional outbursts.

 

Faisal Ali Waraabe is therefore one politician who took the moral high ground by campaigning on national agenda rather than on tribal arrogance, while other big names have fallen flat by invoking old clichés, opening old wounds and trying to bask in retired slogans.

 

Well, we may argue that we don’t have the best government on earth, but we have to also admit that no government will be good enough for us unless we become law-abiding citizens. For as long as clan loyalties stay above the law, as long as we view the man in the presidency as a tribal chief rather than an elected leader, as long as we support politicians on the color of their tribal flags and not on their national agenda, then we have to know that we cannot escape ending up as another Somalia. The choice is ours and at least we have one political leader who can say: “I told ya so.” Faisal Waraabe has got it right and it is worth listening to him before it is too late.

 

Bashir Goth

 

awdalnews.com

[Jacaylbaro]

The arrest of the “Qaran Party” leaders, as unpopular as it may seem to be, comes within the government’s legitimate jurisdiction to deal with situations it deems harmful to the stability, peace and security of the nation.

Well said Bashir ..........

[N.O.R.F]

Faisal Ali Waraabti & Bashir Goth Missed This Time

 

By Abdi Goud Musa, Connecticut, USA

 

Bashir Omar Goth is good friend of mine. He is one of the most intelligent Somalis I know off. He is great poet, writer, journalist, and decent human being. He is the son of Sheikh Omar Goth(A great Islamic scholar and Pioneer who is father of education of Dilla) as his family spells it. I spell my middle name Goud so I do not receive any roughing, stones thrown at ,some jabs or upper cut thrown by someone who is mad about something any member of that family wrote or said at anywhere. Bashir Omar Goth is also the brother-in-law of my late best friend Adan Mohamed Ali Saraye may Allah bless his soul.Bashir Omar Goth is the brother of my friend's widow Rabia Sheik Omar Goth, one of the most dynamic women I know of; but he is wrong this time.

 

So is Faisal Ali Waraabe who is also another good friend of mine and happen to be from the Sultanate of my tribe.

 

These two decent people, thinkers, leaders and friends of mine are wrong for three reasons.First, where I have been living since 1980, over quarter of century, namely the United States of America, no one goes to jail for what one believes,whom one associates with, what party one starts, or what platform runs on, and for what one advocates no matter how horrible including the KU Kulux Klan who are do not have any respect for anyone except their members or believes.

 

Secondly, I am not convinced that my high school or secondary schoolmate Mohamed Abdi Yusuf(Gaboose) as he is well known for, Mohamed Hashi Elmi one of the founders of SNM, and Jamal Cadiid whom I am told is from Dunbuluq(where I was born) which by itself carries good connotation, did anything wrong to be put to jail without due process.

 

Thirdly, Somalialnd is small country that is not recognized by the world community. What most Somalilanders including Bashir Omar Goth and Faisal Ali Waraabi were trying to advocate and sell to the world public that Somalialnd is democracy. Somaliland has checks and balance. Somaliland has elected president, bicameral elected parliament, and independent judiciary. Is not arbitrary imprisonment of opposing political leaders as those of Qaran leaders far from the previous statement? I think it is. No one I mean no one, should go to jail in Somaliland without due process.If the government has a case Qaran leadership it has every right to bring them to court. Without due process and every Somalilander having legal representation and his/her day in court, I for one, I am not buying that imprisoning these three individuals is serving Somaliland and its people well.

 

Let the gentlemen have their day in court and let the government prove that they committed a crime.

 

Abdi Goud Musa, Connecticut, USA

[N.O.R.F]

Desperate Measures From A Desperate Government

 

By Mohamed F Yabarag, London, UK

 

Here we go again. Another illegal incarceration from Rayale’s desperate regime; this time the recipients are Qaran leaders, Somaliland’s new political party. The writing was on the wall for Dr Gaboose, the party’s founding chairman and his deputy, Engineer Mohamed Hashi Elmi, a man dubbed by many as the “Mr clean of Somaliland politics” ever since they declared their intention of forming a political organization in Somaliland with the aim of competing for the forthcoming local government elections. In an attempt to cling on to power, Rayale’s government has been fighting tooth and nail with the help of all government apparatus against anyone they presume may threaten their grip on power in the forthcoming local and presidential elections.

 

A man who initially came to the highest office in the land by default to the surprise of almost everyone and consequently won it by the thinnest of margins ever recorded anywhere in a hotly contested presidential election is now on the rampage to destroy this nascent country by using strong-arm tactics that are all too familiar for those who had witnessed Siyad Barre’s dictatorial regime in its dying days. This is blatant and abhorrent abuse of power at its ugliest level by Rayale’s pathetic government. What we are witnessing today in Somaliland is nothing short of dictatorship in full swing. Under this government we are in democracy only by name. This government have no ears to listen to the desperate voices of its citizens who are yearning for a genuine leadership. It has dismally failed time and again to work with members of the elected House of Representatives as well as civil society organizations. With the arrest of QARAN leadership, our much vaunted democracy lies in tatters and the people who would have saved us from this pathetic government through the ballot box are now languishing in the notorious Mandhera jail. And what did the do wrong to go to Jail? The government wants us to believe that these guys are a REAL threat to the national security. Sounds familiar? How many people, including women and children has Rayale’s regime sent to jails on the ludicrous and rather bizarre grounds that they were a REAL threat to the national security? The REAL threat to peace, security and the existence of Somaliland as a nation is Rayale’s inept and power crazy government. Somaliland’s horrendous jails are teeming with innocent people and if this trend continues, half of Somaliland’s population could end up in jails, even tough there are not enough jails to accommodate such a number.

 

Since the formation of QARAN in early April, Somaliland government was on the back foot fearing that its supporters will most certainly erode as a result of this new party led by very highly effective leaders. The leaders of this organization, Dr Gaboose and Mohamed Hashi, have more than once asked the government and the constitutional court to register their party in preparation for the forthcoming elections. The government’s response to their demand was one of indifference at best, and intimidation at worse. The Association of Somaliland Lawyers (SOLLA) is adamant that this party should be registered and has every right to be allowed to compete for the forthcoming municipal elections under the Somaliland’s constitution. Almost all the political communities in this country, including the House of Representatives and the two opposition parties to name a few are in complete agreement that the government has no case to deny QARAN in participating national elections.

 

For heaven’s sake our constitution is not written in Russian, Amharic, Swahili, or even in Osmania script. It is written in plain Somali and can easily be interpreted and construed by all the concerned parties, but the government seems to be interested in few articles here and there.

 

Quite simply the government is buying time to make sure that no elections are held when they are due because they know with great certainty that they lost the confidence of Somaliland electorate. This is a doomed government teetering to a standstill. It knows that their time is up before the elections have even started in earnest. Less than six months are left before Somaliland voters go to the polling stations and yet the voter registration programme, a pre-requisite to municipality elections, is nowhere near a completion or certainty. Right now, Somaliland government has enough problems on its plate; the national election council and the 2007 budget to name a few, and yet they seem to be creating more problems on the mistaken believe rather foolishly that its tenure in office will be extended to allow it to sort out this mess they themselves have created in the first instances.

 

Any government that has the interest of its people at heart would have resolved the aforementioned issue by appointing an independent commission consisting of lawyers, ministers, and members from both houses as well as the two opposition parties. By taking this path Rayale’s government would have brought this matter into a conclusion that could have been acceptable to both QARAN leadership and the government. Instead the government has, as always, chosen the path of confrontation over the path of compromise and conciliation.

 

Somaliland government should release the leadership of QARAN leadership without further delay to avoid a long drawn out confrontation between itself and the rest of the country. Failure to do so would mean that some people may take the law into their own hands. The ball is in on government’s court.

 

myabarag@talktalk.net

[General Duke]

Riyaale got it right. The arrest of these SNM men was another example of the courage the leader of the North West has shown. He is the elected regional official and should not be played with. Dr Gaboose, Ina Aydeed and Mr Xashi made the wrong move when they played with the man. It was to be expected that the junior spy Faisal Warrabe was going to follow the man where ever he went.

 

he has got them boys under manners.

[N.O.R.F]

Wrong move by Riyaale and the govnt,,,,,

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Goth(A great Islamic scholar and Pioneer who is father of education of Dilla) as his family spells it. I spell my middle name Goud so I do not receive any roughing, stones thrown at ,some jabs or upper cut thrown by someone who is mad about something any member of that family wrote or said at anywhere.

Ma dhibaataa haddii Good la dhaho, as it is the correct Soomaali spelling. Why knock meel aan loo dirsan mispelling and perverting the good Soomaali names unnecessarily. "Goat, Goad, Goud, Goth ..." My, my.

 

What is next? The good name of Bood will, too, be spelled "Boat, Boad, Boud, Buud, Both" ???

 

Soomaalida and their tendency of pleasing others.

[General Duke]

What government? The secessionist chiefs are behind bars and Riyaale is just playing the game till he is called by Yusuf Yey in Mogadishu.

 

The time is coming..So till then proceed with your orders arrest those who are a threat to unity, dont take any action which will jepordise unity and prevent these secessionist from getting any progress to what they covet.

 

Keep up the good work Riyaale.

[Jacaylbaro]

hahahaha@unity .......... where is it exactly ??

 

you are talking about beyond your ability ma is tidhi ??

 

Rayale is the elected president, it is only a matter of time before he goes and another one comes .......

 

yesterday it was Tuur (Allah Yarxamah), then it was Igal (Allah Yarxamah) ,, and today it is Rayaale xafidahullah

 

Tomorrow there will be another one ,,,,

 

 

People change but Somaliland NEVER .....

[N.O.R.F]

*yawns*

[General Duke]

^^^Yes Tuur was president then ran of to Mogadishu, Egal was a former PM of Somalia and no doubt held greater ambition than a regional state leader.

 

Now this fellow Riyaale has set back the secessionist day dream backw ith his actions. Either he is agenius or an *****. Both ways its good for unity and Somalia.

 

There was no such thing as SOMALILAND past 1991, thus everything changes. Puntland already sliced half the former British territory to Somaliweyn. The rest will no doubt follow.

[N.O.R.F]

Riyaale hasnt killed people or blanket bombed any towns or cities. So how can he be called a unioinist/nationalist?

[Jacaylbaro]

I'm glad nobody is asking you about Somaliland. The world knows and that is enough.

 

Unity with the south was tested and didn't work .... recalculations made and it was a one-way ticket which is already expired.

 

 

Will Djibouti, Somali galbeed and NFD join, YES then call me a true unionist .... before that i'm over and out.

[General Duke]

^^^The TFG only kills those with guns, finance, you know big shotts. If it wants to kill Somali's there would be more than 1000 as claimed by Ahmed Diriye group in Mogadishu.

 

The SNM, murdered many civilians after the fall of Siyad Barre, notably in Borama.

 

Egal and Tuur war was as bad as any that took place in southern Somalia. Burco became a ghost town and a whole clan was kicked out to Yarowe[is that the right spelling]

 

Thus Riyaale is no doubt the best weapon we have in Hargaysa right now. Long may his reign continue. I also like Silanyo, he is a man we can also do business with the rest are just toast.

[Jacaylbaro]

I can see you are so desperate from the South niyow

 

Yeah ,,, just marry a Somalilander and you can be a citizen