Federal System

[Che -Guevara]

SOMALIA:Establishing The Federal System and Moving the Capital City, Mogadishu

 

Dr. Abdi Ulusso

Monday, November 01, 2010

 

The draft constitution issued by the Independent Federal Commission on July30, 2010 is flawed but the Commission run advertisements through different Media outlets to promote and condition the Somalia people. The draft raises many questions without answers and it is contentious and controversial and it is the product of Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, the Speaker and former Prime Minister Omer Abdirashid who had a hidden agenda in order to entrench themselves in power and establish a permanent government in Somalia for personal interests. The odd outcome of all this is politicization of the constitution. For instance, it recognizes the 18 regions formed by Siad Barre that, can't be bases to create regional states in order to establish a federal system of government in the country. In my view, Somalia can have confederation of North-South or in order to establish a federal system a merger of the 8 regions of pre-Siad Barre era to form the bases for the federal system in order to deal with imbalances created and as well as problems of size and number of regional states and/or their borders.

 

Therefore, I propose the following 5 (five regional states) : 1. regional Somaliland ( north-west and Togdheer), 2. regional state of Banadir (i.e., Mogadishu, Middle Shabelle and Lower Shabelle), 3. regional state of Jubba (i.e., Bay, Bakool and Gedo (Upper Jubba) ), and Lower Jubba (i.e., Middle Jubba and Lower Jubba), 4. regional state of Puntland (i.e., Mudug, Central, Bari and Nugal) and 5. regional state of Hiran. Thus, the merger of the 8 regions is the best solution respecting the pre-independence borders of the country and at the same time reducing the number of regional states to a manageable level but at the same time promoting their capacity to discharge the functions and responsibilities of regional states as required.

 

Another controversial issue in the draft is Art. 8. The national capital city, Mogadishu and its status in the federal structure. Mogadishu was under represented in the civilian government with only two parliamentary seats while many cities with smaller populations had more than 5 seats each etc. Thus, the arguments contained in the new draft constitution is unacceptable because the commissions wants to kill two birds with one stone. First, it ignores the existance of Banadir Region that dates back to the civilian governmnt and to the Siad Barre’s era where the region has seen demographic changes and grew to sixteen (16 districts) districts to accommodate the population explosion. Second, Mogadishu was the Capital City of Somalia and without problems. However, the disputation of the commissioners that, the Capital, Mogadishu should not be part of a regional or have a limited political power for fear of dominance of certain people is to suggest that the people living in the sixteen districts should not representation at the local level, at the regional level and or at the federal level.

 

I believe, Ottawa is the Capital City, Canada and it is located in the Province of Ontario and therefore, we suggest that the Capital City, Mogadishu to be part of Regional State of Banadir because no one in his/her right mind will accept to treat Banadir Region differently than other regions or Mogadishu than any other cities in the country. Thus, if Somalis agree that the Capital City to remain in Mogadishu, the Federal Government will be responsible only to its institutions in the Capital City, Mogadishu. How, about moving the Capital City to another city in the country? I am sure that, the people living in Banadir Region or living in the City of Mogadishu would prefer moving the Capital to another city rather than accepting loosing their democratic participation of the poliical affairs of the country.

 

Nevetheless, Somali people have suffered over the past twenty (20 years) and faced human rights violations of unprecedented proportion that resulted in bloodletting, death and mayhem of innocent civilians, rampant looting of cities, destruction of public and private properties and all Somali State organs while forcing millions of Somalis to flee their homes and live in squalid refugee camps and million others who are displaced in their own country and living in abject poverty after loosing everything. It is time to put the past behind us and stop depending on international players to resolve Somalia’s problems. Of course, sorry to say that there are no international efforts to strongly support to bring those responsible for corruption, human rights's violations and war crimes in Somalia to bring them to justice. I believe that there can’t be a lasting peace in Somalia without accountability and we urge the international community to do something about it.

 

Finally, Somalia needs fresh new faces, untainted by corruption, the civil war, religious wars and human rights's violations and believe strongly a secular, democratic and sovereign Somalia. Thus, Somalia needs people who can change and work with the International Community and only this way we can reform the government, the legislature, the judiciary in the next administration.

 

Dr. Abdi Mohamed Uluuso,

E-mail: drabdi2000@yahoo.com

[Haatu]

Waffle and a bit.

[xiinfaniin]

Ulusow is begining to mature...without a doubt this is his best that I have seen.

 

Federalism is necessary evil. And we must treat as such.

[Mr. Somalia]

Originally posted by Haatu:

Waffle and a bit.

^

...and very Somali like, if I might add. Nonetheless, I concur that federalism is the only workable solution to Somalia's current woes. However the structure of the respective states/regions within such a federal system in the future, will depend upon the citizens that reside therein. Only Gobollada that can get along, like Puntland, may share a state government, those that cannot can go form their own independent state governments. Thereby ensuring that states which are built on a collective consensus of opinion shall thrive-- those that wont, will never get off the ground in the first place...(Need I give examples? )

[Che -Guevara]

Originally posted by xiinfaniin:

Ulusow is begining to mature...without a doubt this is his best that I have seen.

 

Federalism is necessary evil. And we must treat as such.

He's beginning to accept the inevitable. Somalia can't be one city state.

[Gheelle.T]

In his piece, if PL would consist of the 4 regions he mentioned, where will the Sool and Sanaag go?

[Jacaylbaro]

^ ^ Somaliland dee

 

 

Stuff & Nonsense anyway ,,,,,

[Peace Action]

Ulusso finally accepts that federalism is the only way to move Somalia forward. I also believe that the capital should me moved to the north to small city such Erigavo or even to unihabited area in the northeast or northwest. Mogadishu will remain an important city and we may a get a chance to stabilize the whole country once and for all.

[Mayaani]

means backward clan goverening will not solve somali ill and it is sad most cheering us disintegeration.

[The Zack]

Uluuso

Bal sida magacaa loo dilay fiirsha! Culusoow muu iska qorto.

 

I kinda agree with this proposal. Federalism it is!

[Peace Action]

He wrote Ulusso not Uluuso waad sii dishay adiguna. If he writes Culusoow, it will read Kulusaw which is completely changes him.

[The Zack]

^ @Kulusaw. Waar ani ma badelina asagaa Uluuso qortay wallee. Qoraalka dheer ee uu soo dhajiyay Che bal dib u fiiri.

 

P.s. I still like Culusow way better than Uluuso amd Ulusso .

[Muriidi]

i agree .. i think .. maybe not .. i don't know ..

 

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Markaa yaabay waxee ahayd magaca Mayoow mid ku abtirsaneyso oo u qortay 'Maio.'

 

Maxee Soomaalida magacyadooda sahlan badalkooda geed dheer iyo buur gaaban ugu koraan. Kuma arkeysid Serbianka oo magacyadooda badalaayo, they never change their 'c' (pronounced 'j') nor do you see Talyaaniga oo badalaayo their 'c,' which is pronounced another form of 'j' as well.

 

Umaba baahni inaa sheego Reer Scandinavia, Reer Spain iyo Ruushka magacyadood see u qoraan suu u yaalo.

_________________

 

About the proposed subject, my aragti waa hore ka dhiibtay and again here, in short: Federalism (ama iskutag) will never solve the prolonged Soomaali problem than bringing too many new problems, kan ugu darana waa gobollada iyo degmooyinka ku midowgi karo iskutagnimo. It won't, never in a country like Soomaaliya.

[Che -Guevara]

^There needs to be devolution of power-highly centralized government with Mogadishu in firm control of everything is not option.