Farmaajo is facing huge famine and gamesmanship inside the parliament

[galbeedi]

The prime minister nominated 63 member cabinet. 15% of the Parliament or 43 members are sitting members of the parliament, yet more members of the lower house want to join the cabinet. The speaker Mohamed Jawaari sent a letter to the prime minister demanding that the cabinet must be reshuffled before they presented to the parliament for vote of confidence. He claims that hundred members of the parliament had signed a letter asking for changes in the cabinet.

 

A famine is declared in Somalia by the United Nation and the world have warned that this could cause the death of tens of thousands of Somalis .The UN envoy to Somalia, Michael Keating warned the president few weeks ago that his government will be judged how they manage and over come the drought and famine disaster. Forget about peace in Mogadishu or rebuilding the Somali army, the first task is to help save the helpless Somalis dying in the country side . As we speak the president is in his fourth day of Kenyan visit. Farmaajo was a man who used to talk about Somali pride and self reliance, especially dealing with the neighboring countries, yet as we speak he feels comfortable in Nairobi. Just like a refugee looking for hot meal and a comfortable bed, he is enjoying himself in Nairobi hotels without even considering his stature as the president of the Somali nation who have a lot of issues to confront the Kenyan leadership in Somalia. If you have to visit Kenya for the so called IGAD conference , go in the morning, complete your business and depart back to your country as soon as possible.Who is counseling these people? the first political strategy of every leader is do not make yourself conferrable at the homes of your rivals and do not make any deal while your are in a weak position. He is a president for a month and half and he already spent more than a week outside the country, yet his government did not even cleared the ransom check point " isbaro" inside the parliament. Walee reer aan ogahay ma guuro.

 

Some sources say this battle is between the speaker and South West region president Shariif Hassan. It is possible that a significant number of south west members might oppose due to pressure from Jawaari, but more that 75% are probably a coalition of disgruntled members either from Puntland, Somaliland or Damujadiid members making the life of the government difficult.

 

We warned them early that the cabinet should not be a second parliament filled with the so called 4.5. You can not govern to satisfy 80 or more sub clans vying for power and tribal supremacy. Each one is watching what cabinet the other one gets, and you got grievances. When you appoint over sixty and certain sub clans did not find themselves inside , well expect the grand " Shir" of the "Beesha". Todobaatan ku dhawaad baa la magaacabay reerkayagiina kuma jiro, waar waa la ina yasayye meesha aynu ka kacno, shir jaraaid inoo qabta, odayadiina inooga yeedha.

 

The prime minister has a great opportunity to take the bluff of the speaker and seek the vote of confidence up or down. If they reject, that could be a great opportunity to throw out the sixty member a cabinet and nominate only 18 capable men and women. Remove your self the albatross from your neck and manage the state affairs without the parliament. If They want to be an opposition party within the parliament, by all means let them be one. The speaker is claiming to have the signatures of a hundred, well that is less than 40% . if the other 175 approves the cabinet, that should be enough. Personally, I would prefer that if they reject this cabinet and the second one would be lean and small.

 

Elections supposed to have consequences. Of course, after bruising campaign, you reconcile and bring everyone together. Those who joined the parliament are legislators, hence , you must bring in the other sector and the opposition who run against you. As we all know that after the first round of the election, the other candidates who were running for president had thrown their support for Farmaajo against Hassan Sheekh. The prime minister could have brought in some of those opposition candidates and the nationalist wing of the country. Farmaajo already has broken a promise he made with the Daljir party the night before the election . The " Xildhibaano' associated with that group decided to support Farmaajo and in exchange give he prime minister to Ahmed H. Faqi. This latter has already criticized Farmaajo by not tackling the insurgency issues and instead spending political capital with internal opposition( WAxa uu yidhi, " Farmaajo waxa uu wakhti badan ku bixinayaa canaasiirta dawlada sidii uu wax uga qabal lahaa, halka uu cadawga dalka ,'Al-shaab', uu wakhti ku bixin lahaa).

 

Who knows while he is sipping mango in Nairobi, the Ethiopian and Kenyans through their puppet regional states must have started the campaign quietly. Even the mischievous Shariif Hassan of South West today openly supported for the cabinet. Having seen how he works, this could be just a cover up for his ultimate goal while hiding his card.

 

Among the opposition were, the Shariif Ahmed wing, the Daljir party, C/raxman Baadiyow and C/weli Sheikh Ahmed.and others. Combine that with nationalist wing of Cabdi Samatar, Zakaria Haaji, Mohamuud Culusow and others. The dilemma that Farmaajo and his prime minister facing is already getting bigger. They seem to be following the foot steps of Hassan Sheikh. When Hassan Sheikh won the election, the opposition alliance who were running for president met him and discussed with him about the future. C/weli gaas (he was probably offered financial help to gain Puntland power from Faroole) Ahmed Samatar, Baadiyow, Cali Khaliif, Ismaaciil Buuba and Yusuf Garaad met him and asked him to bring aboard some of the people who were running for president.

 

They specifically asked him to bring the northern unionists who are not only capable men, but also need home to advance the Somali state. They first told him to nominate someone from Somailand to the premiership in order to strengthen the unionists , and if that could not happen, then nominate Proff. Samatar to deputy prime minister and foreign minister. President Hassan Sheikh just smiled as usual and said to usual "Khayr bay noqon". He did not bring one single person of those who were running against him, nor he considered the idea of integrating proff. Samatar to the union cause. The disrespect he has shown Samatar and Cali Khaliif has changed those two men deeply in terms of the southern Somali elites and the way they conduct political business. the rest is history.

 

Well, Farmaajo could avoid that road by by incorporating those opposition parties who were seeking office and get some of the heavy weight nationalists. In order to achieve that let the ransom seeking Jawaari reject the cabinet and nominate only 18 capable cabinet . If they reject that , then other tough measures are needed. The fact is this game must stop while people are dying.