Somaliland Presidential Elections 2017

[Ace of Spadez]

Suldaanka, Barwaaqo & Mr Oodweyne thanks for the updates. Please keep them coming.

 

In terms of who to support this election I'm really not sure who to support yet as I have not finished reading all the party platforms.

 

It looks like whoever becomes victories change is coming. Waddani has a candidate who is diplomatic, witty, shrewd and knows when to draw the dagger (i.e. when he punched Bashe's lights out). Kulmiye has a candidate that knows the terrain and the people of Somaliland very well and who will defend home & country if need be. Lastly, Ucid has a candidate that is a visionary and dares to dream the possibilities that can be achieved.

 

If we were going to base it only on the person at the helm most people would vote for Faysal, but since Somaliland's institutions are still in the developmental stage it is important to base one's decision on who the team is that will support the would be President. Unfortunately this is where Mr Warabe comes in last between the three candidates. It is a toss up, but I believe like myself most people are still undecided. Let the campaign begin!

 

@ Che...after 7 pages of updates and analysis all you could come up with is that? but then again you've never been one to bring much to the table.

[Che -Guevara]

Ace, It's Somali politics and the Somali mind is unfortunately predictable . Let's not fool ourselves. That said we are all allowed indulge in fantasies, so be my guest.

 

My take the winner will be whoever ingratiates themselves most to Sa'ad Muse elites. How much do you want to bet Muusa Biixi will be the winner?

 

It does help he is already one of them!

 

Anyway, as you were.

[Suldaanka]

Che,

This is my personal take on the topic you've touched i.e. clanism/qabyaalad etc.

 

I see two realities in Somaliland. On one corner you have, the reality that is projected by political bigwigs and traditional leaders which revolves around clans. This reality in my opinion is like a "Road show" performed by well known street buskers who have done quite well off it. Because they done well of performing the same antyics for so long, that is become the only trick they know.

 

The current Somaliland politicians have no other trick in their books. It is a real shame.

 

On the other corner you have another reality which is the youth. The Somaliland youth have by all measures moved leaps and bounds away from clanism. They no longer give any attention to the street buskers i.e. politicians and traditional leaders.

 

So in essnese, there is a huge disconnect between the two realities.

 

There was a Shir-beeleed just few days ago in Burco. Supposedly two very large clans have renewed a political pact which existed for the last 20 years or so. This political pact, according to the agreement, will see the East Burco clan throw their lott behind MBA, in a quid-pro-qua.

 

This type of shir-beeleed would have been a Game-Changer in an era when Somaliland President was selected by few indivituals that are themselves selected on clan basis. I.e. the era of 1990s before Somaliland moved to Multi-Party.

 

But in today's reality, that shir-beeleed, will have very minimum affect on the outcome of this elections.

 

The days when few indivituals made deals behind the curtins is long gone.

 

The outcome of this election is purely based on the performance of the Political parties.

 

The politicians and the traditional elders will take time until they catchup with the actual reality on the ground.

[Barwaaqo]

[YoniZ]

Why Somaliland can't present a candidate that appeal to the hopes and dreams of the younger generation, who are the majority voters in this election? It has to do with the existing hierarchical system that give unchecked powers to the Gadhcas in the form of Guurti council.

 

Whoever wins this election, should work tirelessly replacing the Guurti council with an elected senate, give more powers to the judiciary system, without any interference from the Gadhcas, who ought to be repatriated to their natural habitats in the country side.

[Che -Guevara]

Suldaanka,

 

Faysal Warabe commented on the meeting. I was wondering to whose benefit was alliance formed? Surely your average HJ and HA urbanite/geeljire will not benefit. I am glad and hope it is true that the young people vote on ideas. And I think Somaliland need to retire men from SNM/Kacaanka era. They have served their purpose. There is a need for new blood.

 

[YoniZ]

@Oodweyne

said:

YoniZ

,

 

Totally agree with you in the sense that the teeming

"gadh-Cas"

should, after this election, be

"consigned"

to their

"natural habitat"

of

"mediating"

the local clannish squabbles that happens, rather tragically, across the length and the breath of the country.

 

And for good measure, a genuine reform of the Upper House must be undertaking, urgently, so that those who are essentially a

"seat-warmers"

(who inherited their current seats in the Upper House from their sagacious predecessors who passed away in recent years) must quietly be put out to pasture (as it were). And a genuinely elected Upper House (based on regional distribution) must be organized as soon as possible (preferably next year).

 

And if there is a question of

"social equity"

at stake in here in the sense of worrying about that a regional-based election for the Upper House may not deliver a representation from the small clans, then a formula of

"nomination"

to the Upper House (for those who are unlikely to come through a competitive electoral process) could be done, whereby most small clans can be

"allocated"

seats in proportion to the numbers they currently have at the existing Upper House.

 

In other words, there are so many ways to

"skin"

the

"representational cat"

of the Upper House. However, the most important point is that the current legislators in the Upper House, who seems to resemble in every passing year as a collection of folks who have secured themselves for a

"life-time tenure"

on parliament's seats must be told that their

"cushy deal"

is really over.

 

Moreover, their current activities is similar to what the then Rump parliament of the Commonwealth of England during the English Civil-war have done it. And this Rump parliamentarians were a group of folks who were only concern with

"pocket-minding"

and

"self-serving"

agenda to the exclusion of everything else.

 

Hence, similarly, this

"money-grasping"

lot we currently have in Somaliland's Upper House, as a parliamentarians, should be told what

Oliver Cromwell

have told his then

"seat-warmers"

parliamentarians in the then Rump parliament of England of

1653

, which was:

 

"....You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!..."

 

You put that so beautifully, thanks for that Oodweyne.

[Suldaanka]

@Che -Guevara

said:

Suldaanka,

 

Faysal Warabe commented on the meeting. I was wondering to whose benefit was alliance formed? Surely your average HJ and HA urbanite/geeljire will not benefit. I am glad and hope it is true that the young people vote on ideas. And I think Somaliland need to retire men from SNM/Kacaanka era. They have served their purpose. There is a need for new blood.

 

 

There are few statistical facts on the ground that these elders have not yet grasped to acknowledge. These facts include the following:

 

- 55% of voters will be females (around 60% of whom are under the age of 30 yrs). Supposedly, Women have no Clan. Hence, majority of voters in theory do not subscribe to clans.

- 65% of the males voters are under the age of 35 years

 

So essentially, you have 16% of the total voters are males over the age of 35 years.

 

To put it bluntly, over 60% of voters are youth.

 

I think this election will be an eye opener to the old guard. If they do not get in sync with the reality on the ground, they will not be able to fulfill the aspirations of the youth.

[Suldaanka]

Around 4000 polling station staff to be trained in a mock election which is held at the NEC HQ.

 

[Barwaaqo]

http://www.debatesinternational.org/debate/somaliland-presidential-election-debate

[Suldaanka]

The NEC have announced that next Saturday will be the start of the official Presidential campaigns. News from Hargeisa are confirmed that the next few weeks until election day will see the largest and most expensive campaign yet in the history Somaliland. Specially the two largest political parties namely Kulmiye & Waddani have stashed a lot of cash for their campaigns. The business community is visibly active in this elections and the divide is very clear.

 

The 2017 elections have been postponed twice, originally scheduled in July 2015 and then Mar 2017. The two delays have given amble time for the political parties to establish a very complex web of campaigns, which include among others Private TV stations, social media & on the ground organisations & fleets of cars. Posters, t-shirts, caps and other items are flooding the streets of major cities.

 

The amount of money that will be spent in the next 4 weeks is going to reach in the millions.

 

 

[Suldaanka]

NEC have announced that next Saturday will be the start of the official Presidential campaigns. News from Hargeisa are confirmed that the next few weeks until election day will see the largest and most expensive campaign yet in the history Somaliland. Specially the two largest political parties namely Kulmiye & Waddani have stashed a lot of cash for their campaigns. The business community is visibly active in this elections and the divide is very clear.

 

The 2017 elections have been postponed twice, originally scheduled in July 2015 and then Mar 2017. The two delays have given amble time for the political parties to establish a very complex web of campaigns, which include among others Private TV stations, social media & on the ground organisations & fleets of cars. Posters, t-shirts, caps and other items are flooding the streets of major cities.

 

The amount of money that will be spent in the next 4 weeks is going to reach in the millions.

 

 

[Suldaanka]

The NEC have announced that next Saturday will be the start of the official Presidential campaigns. News from Hargeisa are confirmed that the next few weeks until election day will see the largest and most expensive campaign yet in the history Somaliland. Specially the two largest political parties namely Kulmiye & Waddani have stashed a lot of cash for their campaigns. The business community is visibly active in this elections and the divide is very clear.

 

The 2017 elections have been postponed twice, originally scheduled in July 2015 and then Mar 2017. The two delays have given amble time for the political parties to establish a very complex web of campaigns, which include among others Private TV stations, social media & on the ground organisations & fleets of cars. Posters, t-shirts, caps and other items are flooding the streets of major cities.

 

The amount of money that will be spent in the next 4 weeks is going to reach in the millions.

 

 

[Suldaanka]

The NEC have announced that next Saturday will be the start of the official Presidential campaigns. News from Hargeisa are confirmed that the next few weeks until election day will see the largest and most expensive campaign yet in the history Somaliland. Specially the two largest political parties namely Kulmiye & Waddani have stashed a lot of cash for their campaigns. The business community is visibly active in this elections and the divide is very clear.

 

The 2017 elections have been postponed twice, originally scheduled in July 2015 and then Mar 2017. The two delays have given amble time for the political parties to establish a very complex web of campaigns, which include among others Private TV stations, social media & on the ground organisations & fleets of cars. Posters, t-shirts, caps and other items are flooding the streets of major cities.

 

The amount of money that will be spent in the next 4 weeks is going to reach in the millions.

 

 

[Suldaanka]