Thursday, January 28, 2016
The efforts to shape the 2016 political transition in Somalia have reached a critical juncture. For the second time in just four years, a handful of so-called “Signatories” are engaged in extra-constitutional negotiations designed to make potentially lasting decisions on fundamental national matters including political representation, distribution of electoral power and basic citizenship rights. Unfortunately, repeated reliance on an improvisational and transactional approach to managing State affairs is now the standard modus operandi of the whole political establishment in Somalia. Consequentially, Somalia became a nation of men, not a nation of laws.
Despite all the attempts to cloak it in some kind of legitimacy, it remains an inescapable fact that the so-called “National Consultative Forum” circumvented the Federal Parliament’s legislative role. Participants of this Forum act in contravention of Article 47 of the Provisional Constitution which gave the Federal Parliament the authority to enact electoral laws. The said Article clearly states in pertinent part that “The regulations concerning political parties, their registration, elections at the Federal Government level and the National Independent Electoral Commission shall be defined in special laws enacted by the House of the People of the Federal Parliament of Somalia”.
In other words, the President, the Speaker, the Prime minister and the “Presidents” of regional administrations have no legal authority to establish electoral system via this unconstitutional Forum. Hence, its outcome must be viewed purely as a political exercise which has no legal bearing whatsoever.
Not only has the current government failed to propose a meaningful electoral system which could lead to a timely and transparent transfer of power but, even more tragically, there is no evidence of any widespread outcry among Somalis over this flagrant violation of the Provisional Constitution. In fact, the ongoing “Consultative Forum” project highlighted a unifying narrative in Somalia where the political negotiations between a handful of politicians and external actors sidelined, perhaps irreversibly, the role of the Somali citizen as the ultimate source of authority in the country as guaranteed by Article 46 of the Provisional Constitution which states in pertinent part “……. The power of self-governance begins and ends with the people, who have the power, where necessary, to hold public institutions and public servants accountable”.
Rarely have citizens of a country so passively left their fate in the hands of a few demonstrably failed politicians. Unless Somalis of good conscience offer a pragmatic alternative (and not merely a lofty idealism), a convergence of factors seems on track to create irreversible trends on the ground which are bound to alter the nature and the very character of our nation forever.
Since its founding, Gurmad called for the institutionalization of the Somali political system and preservation of the intuitional role of the Parliament as the most representative body in Somalia. It emphasized the importance of adhering to the constitutional and legal frameworks as well respect for the institutional role of the existing state institutions, their fragility and weak public trust notwithstanding. Gurmad also called for reforms that could include constitutional, legislative, and institutional aspects as well as accountability mechanisms.
The Way Forward
Because Somalia cannot afford a reversal of the gains made during the end of the transition in 2012, Gurmad sees one of the following options as the only legitimate means of arriving at an electoral model for 2016:
Option One
Institutionalization of the Electoral Process and Respect for the Rule of Law
Gurmad emphasizes that the legislative debates about the nation’s electoral system for 2016 and beyond must occur inside the Federal Parliament of Somalia and NOT at a foreign sponsored extra-constitutional Forum attended by a few politicians. Therefore, Gurmad strongly reiterates that Somali parliament, the nation’s primary law-making body, must not cede its inherent authority of making electoral laws to the “outcome” of the so-called “Consultative Forum”, a process crafted by foreign actors who, in contravention of the Somali law, arbitrarily empowered a few individuals.
Gurmad underscores that the decision of the Speaker to participate in the extra-constitutional negotiations is highly consequential and constitutes a historic betrayal of the institutional role of the parliament. His presence at the Forum implies that the parliament is, for all intent and purpose, a lame duck and that the 275 men and women MPs relinquished their constitutional authority in favor of the seven “Signatories”. Now, in order to prevent the usurpation of its legislative role, the Somali parliamentians must immediately force the Speaker to open a parliamentary debate on electoral laws including political party laws. The electoral law must clarify and provide for a legal framework within which the Independent Electoral Commission can manage a transitional administration of power transfer for 2016 within the constitutional calendar.
Options Two
Convene an Inclusive National Constitutional Convention
If the Federal Parliament fails in its constitutional duty to enact a law the necessary electoral laws to move the country forward in line with the Provisional Constitution, Gurmad calls for the convening of an inclusive national Constitutional Convention to debate and address the fundamental political questions facing the nation. The Convention must not be confined to seven unelected politicians; i.e., Signatories rather it must draw representation from a wide array of Somalis including political organizations, civil society, traditional elders, religious leaders, women, youth, Diaspora and other sections of Somalis from all regions and districts of Somalia.
Gurmad underscores that legitimate transfer of power in 2016 is contingent upon the Somali ownership of the entire process without which all processes would only prove an extravagant charade, at best.
Finally, instead of bankrolling extra-constitutional forums that operate outside of the country’s legal frameworks, the International Community should support the promotion of rule of law, constitutionalism and institutionalization in Somalia.
For further information, please contact us at [email protected]
Gurmad oo ku Baaqay in la joojiyo shirarka aan dastuurka waafaqsanayn loona noqdo sharciga
Waxaa meel aad u cakiran maraya dedaallada lagu doonayo in lagu go’aamiyo hannaanka doorashada Soomaaliya ee sanadkan 2016. Markii labaad muddo afar sano un ah gudaheed ayaa dhowr qof oo lagu sheegay “Saxiixayaal” waxay faraha kula jiraan hawl aan dastuurka waafaqsanayn si ay u gaaraan go’aanno gundhig u ah siyaasadda dalka sida habka matalaadda shacabka, awood qaybsiga siyaasadda, habraaca codaynta iyo xuquuqda aasaasiga ah ee muwaaddinka. Nasiib darro, waxaa caado ka noqotay siyaasadda Soomaaliya in qaddiyadaha waaweyn ee dalka lagu maamulo shirar xeer jajab ah iyo la jiifiyaana bannaan. Sidaas awgeed, Soomaaliya waxay noqotay dal ay sharciga ka sarreeyaan niman aan cidina dooran.
Si kasta oo la isugu dayo in loo raadiyo qiil, waxaa xaqiiq biya kama dhibcaana ah in mashruuca wadatashiga qaran lagu boobay awoodda sharci dejineed ee baarlamaanka federaalka. Dadka qaybta ka ah shirarkan waxay si toos ah ugu tunteen qodobka 47 ee Dastuurka ku meel gaarka ah oo baarlamaanka federaalka siinaya awoodda dejinta sharciga doorashooyinka.Qodobkani wuxuu si cad u leeyahay “Shuruucda ku saabsan Xisbiyada, Diiwaangelintooda, Doorashooyinka heerka dowladda federaalka ah iyo Guddiga Qaranka ee Madaxbanaan ee Doorashooyinka, waxaa lagu qeexi doonaa shuruuc gaar ah oo uu soo saaro Golaha Shacabka ee Baarlamaanka Federaalka Soomaaliya.“
Si kale haddii loo dhigo, madaxweynaha, afhayeenka baarlamaanka, ra’iisal wasaaraha iyo “madaxweynayaasha” maamul goboleedyadu ma laha wax awood sharci ah oo ay ku go’aamiyaan hannaanka doorashada. Sidaas awgeed, wixii ka soo baxa madashaas waa un in loo arko siyaasiyiin wada hadlay oo aan wax sharciyad ah lahayn.
Dowladda iminka joogta waxay ku fashilantay in ay dalka u diyaariso doorasho xalaal ah oo talada loogala wareego, waxaana waajib nagu ah annagoo ku hadlayna codka shacabka Soomaaliyeed sida loogu tuntay dastuurka. Mashruuca socda ee “wadatashiga qaran” wuxuu astaan u yahay fikirka khaldan ee ah in shisheeye iyo dhowr qof oo ay u adeegtaan ay talada dalka iska marooqsadaan kana gacan dhowraan muwaaddinka Soomaaliyeed oo leh awoodda ugu sarraysa dalka sida ku cad dastuurka qodobkiisa 46 oo leh “Awoodda isxukunku waxay ka bilaabataa, kuna dhammaataa shacabka, asaga oo adeegsanaya awoodda ah in mar kasta oo loo baahdo uu hay’adaha iyo wakiillada shacabka ku oogi karo la-xisaabtan.”
Ma jiro dal dhan oo shacabkiisu ay iska daawan karaan una sii deyn karaan talada dalkooda iyo aayihiisa in ay maquunsadaan dhowr siyaasi oo fashilmay. Haddii Soomaalida uu ku haray dareenka waddaninimo aanay la iman isbaddel meel mar ah (oo aan af macaan un ahayn), waxaa muuqda in ay is bahaysteen arrimo fara badan oo dhalan rogi kara nooca iyo aayaha dalkeenna sidiisaba.
Illaa iyo intii la aasaasay, Gurmad wuxuu ku baaqayay in arrimaha siyaasadda dalka saldhig looga dhigo hay’adaha sharciga ah iyo in la dhowro kaalinta baarlamaanka oo ah hay’adda ugu matelaadda baahsan ee shacabka Soomaaliyeed matesha. Wuxuu kaloo Gurmad ku celceliyay ahmiyadda ay leedahay in la raaco dastuurka iyo sarraysiinta sharciga iyo in la ixtiraamo kaalinta hay’adaha dhisan ee dowladda, iyada oo la ogsoon yahay in ay tabar yar yihiin, shacabkana aanay kalsooni ka haysan. Gurmad wuxuu kale oo ku baaqay isbaddello dhinacyada dastuurka, garsoorka iyo dhismaha hay’adaha dowladda iyo in la sameeyo isla xisaabtan.
Maaddaama aanay Soomaaliya tahli karin in dib loo baabi’iyo horumarkii la gaaray 2012kii markii Soomaaliya ka baxday ku-meel-gaarnimada, Gurmad wuxuu xalaal u arkaa in la maro labo waddo middood si loo go’aamiyo hannaanka doorashada 2016ka:
Waddada Koowaad:
In la maro hay’adaha oo la ixtiraamo sharciga si loo gaaro go’aanka doorashada
Gurmad wuxuu carrabka ku adkaynayaa in doodaha xeer dejinta ee doorashada 2016 iyo ka shishe ay ka dhex dhacaan aqalka Baarlamaanka Federaalka ah ee aysan ka noqonin shirar ay shisheeye riixayaan oo dastuurka daba marsan oo dhowr nin ay isugu yimaadaan. Sidaas awgeed, Gurmad wuxuu aad ugu celcelinayaa in baarlamaanka Soomaaliya, oo ah hay’adda sharcidejinta qaranka, uusan u sii deyn awooddiisa sharci dejineed wixii ka soo baxa mashruuca “wadatashiga”, oo ay dad shisheeye ahi iyaga oo sharciga ku xad gudbaya dhowr nin talada u dhiibteen.
Gurmad wuxuu caddeynayaa in ka qaybgalka afhayeenka baarlamaanka ee shirarkan aan dastuurka waafaqsanayn uu xadgudub weyn yahay laguna boobay awooddii sharcidejinta baarlamaanka. Ka qaybgalkiisa shirarkan wuxuu ka dhiganyahay in baarlamaanka la kala diray oo ay 275ta xildhibaan ku wareejiyeen awooddoodii sharcidejinta toddoba “saxiixayaal”. Haddaba, si looga hortago afduubka kaalinta baarlamaanka, waa waajib in baarlamaanku uu ku khasbo afhayeenka in uu furo doodda sharciyada doorashooyinka sida xisbiyada siyaasadda. Sharciga doorashadu waa in uu qeexaa sharciyadna u sameeyaa in Guddiga Madaxa Bannaan ee Doorashooyinku maamulo kala guurka iyo xilwareejinta 2016 iyada oo la raacayo jadwalka dastuurka.
Talada labaad
In la qabto shirweyne qaran oo dastuuri ah oo loo dhanyahay
Haddii baarlamaanka federaalku qabsan waayo hawshiisa dastuuriga ah ee dejinta xeer doorasho oo dalka lagu samata bixiyo iyada oo la raacayo dastuurka ku meel gaarka ah, Gurmad wuxuu ku baaqayaa in la qabto shirweyne qaran oo dastuuri ah oo loo dhanyahay si looga dodo loona xalliyo su’aalaha masiiriga ah ee dalka hor yaalla. Shirweynuhu waa in uusan ku ekaan toddoba siyaasi oo aan la dooran oo saxiixayaal ah ee waa in Soomaali nooc walba leh la isugu keenaa sida ururrada siyaasadda, bulshada rayidka, oday dhaqameedka, culimada, haweenka, dhallinyarada, qurbajoogta, iyo qaybaha kale ee bulshada oo ka kala imanaya dhammaan gobollada iyo degmooyinka Soomaaliya. Gurmad wuxuu adkaynayaa in si xalaal ah loola kala wareego talada dalka ay ku xiran tahay in shacabka Soomaaliyeed lahaado talada iyo go’aanka taas oo la’aanteed wixii la sameeyo ay noqonayaan shimbirayohow heesa.
Guntii, halka ay ka maalgelinayaan shirar aan dastuurka dalka waafaqsanayn, beesha caalamku waa in ay taageerto sarraysiinta sharciga, ilaalinta dastuurka iyo in talada loo maro hay’adaha Soomaaliya.
Wixii faahfaahin ah, nagala soo xiriir [email protected]