Is Djiboutian ready the First-lady, Mss. Khadra Haid as their next President?

Liqaye · September 9, 2009

by Mohamed Awaleh

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Spending two years and half of research in Djibouti - about Djibouti’s politics brought me the conclusion that the President of the Republic of Djibouti, Mr. Ismail O. Guelleh is wowing his wife as his next successor.

For one thing: Mss. Khadra Haid is not an ordinary first-lady. She is very much in politics – and influential. She doesn’t shy away to actively compete with the Cabinet Ministers – for instance, there’s one incidence few years ago at the Djibouti University’s Students, who were striking against a fee the Ministry of Education imposed them; which over ninety percent of them complained that their parents could not be able to come up. Yet, the Minister publicly refused to back down, and even expelled the Students Organizers. When the negotiations between the Ministry and the Students did not go anywhere; her office immediately contacted the Students – and waived the fee for them and help re-instate the Students Organizers into their classes without consulting the Ministry.

A reliable source, who wished to remain unanimous, recently, confided me that, the First-lady also exiled the richest man in Djibouti, Mr. Abdulrahman Borreh, while the President Ismail O. Guelleh was in Quebec, Canada. To further prove with her ambition, there’s as well a rumor flowing in Djibouti that the next target is the current Minister of Interior, Mr. Yacin Elmi Bouh; in attempt of eliminating with any future potential obstacles with her geol: the Presidency.

With Respect of Mss. Khadra Haid, she becomes the center of her husband government. And certainly started already playing tribal cards: placing her Tribes, Issaq, the Habaar Awal, on higher positions. Though, some of them genuinely expressed disdain with this outdated political game, and worry this might eventually ignite hatred toward their community. Unfortunately, the First-lady’s objective is definitely aiming at creating a new class of Loyalist for herself in order to hold on the power when her times come: In the School of Machiavelli, its call building your own power-base. Will it work in Djibouti? I don’t know. But, I do know for one thing - it indeed infuriated the Djiboutian.

After conducting serious polls, we came to realize, Madam Khadra is very unpopular to the Djiboutian Citizens. If election is held today; there’s a great possibility, she may end up getting 2% of the vote. The question is though; how’s she going to lull the Citizens - or- win their hearts and minds? Or will simply her Husband hand over the power to her. Allah knows - we just have to wait and see. But, there’s no doubt she’s for sure, eying for the higher office of the Land.

In spite of what anyone would say - if Mss. Khadra persuades the Djiboutian to vote for her, and she gets their votes fairly. I will be the first one to congratulate her. But, the way her Husband and herself run the country doesn’t look like she has a chance: purging their opponents, parading fancy and expensive cars (Hammers) and throwing lavish parties in the eyes of the people, while half of them are without Electricity and Running Water, and could not even afford to have two meals a day.

Either way, it doesn’t seem, the duet will just easily give up the power without a fight; even if it means taking the Country to the path of Somalia. With the Grace of Allah, I pry it will not come to that level. I hope the President will not leave behind a similar legacy of Ziad Barre.

Mss. Khadra Haid already demonstrated, she will not be fair and just President. Therefore, I don’t think the Djiboutian with right minds will elect her as their next President. But at the end of the day, they have to decide for themselves. Mohamed Awaleh

awaleh@consultant.co m