Clannish Democracy on Full Display in Somalia's Presidential Election

[Baashi]

Clannish Democracy on Full Display in Somalia's Presidential Election

 

The lost art of political horse-trading that Somalis used to wield in ’60 has made its debut today again. Clan reps representing various clans and sub-clans (complex matrix – not based on population or districts) fought for the top seat for political power.

 

There were 25 presidential hopefuls seeking for the position. Classical wheeling-and-dealing free style and horse-trading were the only game in town. After old scores were settled against incumbents (through vote), pay-packs exacted, reps sought influence and appointments and candidates made many promises; Hassan Sh. Mohamud came on top and won the day fair and square.

[walaalkis]

Amazing , just amazing

[Baashi]

Somalia elects a new president

 

 

By ABDI GULED, Associated Press

 

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia's Parliament elected a new president of the country's fledgling government Monday, a move that members of the international community say is a key step toward the east African nation's transition from a war-torn failed state to a nation with an effective government.

 

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a political newcomer, won the election against outgoing President Sheik Sharif Sheikh Ahmed by the legislative vote of 190 to 79, according to Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari.

 

Ahmed conceded defeat.

 

"I am happy to see the first free and fair election happen in Somalia after 40 years, "Ahmed said. "I want to congratulate the new president for the fair election, and I want to declare that I am fully satisfied with the results."

 

Mohamud thanked the new parliament for electing him as the nation's leader and asked the Somali people to collaborate with him to restore the country.

 

Last year, he founded a new political party in Somalia named Peace and Development. Before that he taught locally as a professor, including at the Somali Institute of Management and Administration Development, which he helped found in 1999 to train administrators and technicians to help rebuild Somalia.

 

Analysts said the Somali lawmakers voted for change by electing Mohamud and passing over Ahmed, whose government had faced accusations of wrongdoing.

 

A report released in June written for the U.N. said that his government was rife with corruption. It allegedly protected a notorious pirate leader and deposited only $3 of every $10 received into state coffers.

 

A report commissioned by the World Bank published in May similarly also found that 68 percent of the Transitional Federal Government's revenues in 2009-10 were unaccounted for.

 

Abdirashid Hashi, an analyst on the Horn of Africa with the International Crisis group think tank, described Mohamud as an outsider who nobody thought stood a chance to win.

 

The International Crisis Group had described the selection of Somali parliamentarians last month as undemocratic, "with unprecedented levels of political interference, corruption and intimidation."

 

Somali elders were tasked with naming the parliament since no election could be held, given the state of security around the country.

 

"Some elders allegedly nominated uneducated and objectionable individuals, some sold seats to highest bidders, and others even nominated their own family members," the International Crisis Group said.

 

Hashi said Mohamud's election is a move forward but that the president will need the support of his countrymen to bring change to the country.

 

"This is a step in the right direction, but Somalia's problems are too big for a person to solve alone," he said. They include piracy at sea, hundreds of thousands of refugees, terrorism and a lack of institutions, Hashi said.

 

While Somalia has had transitional administrations since 2004, it has not had a functioning central government since 1991, when warlords overthrew a longtime dictator and turned on each other, plunging the impoverished nation into chaos.

 

The last day of the eight-year U.N.-backed transitional government was Aug. 20, and the U.N. wanted a new president in place by then. But political bickering, violent threats and seat-buying schemes delayed progress toward the selection and seating of the 275 members of the new Parliament. A total of 269 lawmakers took part in Monday's presidential vote.

 

Somalia has seen much progress over the last year.

 

Al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabab militants, who waging an insurgency against the government, were forced out of Mogadishu in August 2011, allowing businesses to thrive and the arts and sports to return. Al-Shabab has lost control of Mogadishu and ceded power in towns in western Somalia. The militants have largely either fled to northern Somalia and Yemen, or have retreated to Kismayo, the last major town the militants control.

 

Last month Somali leaders endorsed a new provisional constitution that expands rights for Somali citizens.

 

The U.N . — which helped broker the constitution and is in charge of the poll — hopes that one day all of Somalia will be able to vote to endorse or reject the constitution.

 

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

Source: http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2012/09/10/somalias-new-parliament--to-elect-president_print.html

[SayidSomal]

The U.N . — which helped broker the constitution and is in charge of the poll — hopes that one day all of Somalia will be able to vote to endorse or reject the constitution.

 

yaa maxaa tidhi?

[Baashi]

Qardho man awoowe you didn't know Somalia was under watered down sort of UN Trusteeship? So much of a King of Qardho Kampala accord, AMISOM troops, IGAD oversight, Roadmap, etc...do they ring a bell?

[Baashi]

Analysis of how it went down in the Police Training Center in our beloved Waaberi

 

The data -- if you can called it that -- is a gold mine for political junkies. Arithmetic is small and overly simple -- 25 candidates sought to secure 279 votes available. Clan map is also simple. All major subclans players fitted in a complicated ratio as envisioned by armed warlords in Mpagathi.

 

Assumption was that all politics are local. Every candidates will have to first secure the backing of a plurality of reps from his subclan to be a contender. The other assumption was that is that clan system is predictable indicator of how sub-clan reps will cast their votes.

 

Now we have to factor in the resources and incumbents hold of all state trappings the office confers to them.

 

Fatigue is another factor.

 

So how does unknown novice pulled off?

[Mintid Farayar]

Baashi;867845 wrote:

Now we have to factor in the resources and incumbents hold of all state trappings the office confers to them.

 

Fatigue is another factor.

 

So how does unknown novice pulled off?

 

Two other figures who are reluctant to bow out are Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and his political foe Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan. They are puzzled, we hear, by conflicting messages from Washington. The UN Eritrea and Somalia Working Group report was leaked on 18 July and it contained allegations of rampant corruption throughout the TFG. Some analysts believe US intelligence was responsible for the leak, timing it to be of greatest use to the enemies of the two Sharifs. 'I don't doubt that there has been high-level plunder by members of the TFG but the figures are inflated and they are being spun to make the two Sharifs look like the worst possible choices for president,' a source familiar with the background to the report told us. Yet, the United States State Department is still courting and complimenting both men as key partners in the country's political reconstruction. Somalis nowadays expect the mandate of President Sharif to be renewed.

Africa Confidential Aug.3-2012

 

Irrespective of what others think of Matt Bryden and hidden agendas, the Monitoring Group Report was instrumental in bringing critical Western donors to agitate for a change in leadership behind the scenes.

 

To reiterate your comment from another post, the 'stealth trusteeship' continues across Somali territories.

[Baashi]

Mintid, the writeup was right on the money. But I can't stand Matt and other neo-orientalists who thinks they are still in civilizing mission in conflict-ridden zones. Just can't stand them. The day they pour their heart out and ink the role their funders have played and/or are still playing in these conflicts then we will take their diatribes in face value.

 

Awoowe warkooda wan ku xajiimoodaa nimankaas.

[Mintid Farayar]

But isn't the problem that the Bryden's of the world understand the 'macros' of the Somali condition much better than the Somalis themselves who have difficulty in rising above the 'micro'? In particular, the 'micro' of the pocket/personal financial gain.

[SayidSomal]

Baashi;867838 wrote:

Qardho man awoowe you didn't know Somalia was under watered down sort of UN Trusteeship? So much of a King of Qardho

Kampala accord, AMISOM troops, IGAD oversight, Roadmap, etc...do they ring a bell?

My prince,

 

No amount of water can make the quoted statement go down the throat.

There is big difference between your so called ‘stealth trusteeship' and the implications of that glaring statement.