By Abdiwahab M. Ali
Crossing the mid lines of the book “Once and Future King“, T.H. White, note down “The best thing for being sad, beginning to puff and blow, “is — to learn pasts. That’s the only thing that never fails. Learn why the world wags and what wags it.
Let’s Pause and think on the day of 8th January 2014….Hmm! turn of the day….. A big Moment for Puntlanders, and no doubt, to all Somalis; the election was replete with symbolism and hyperbole.
Historians, political scientists and journalists will be writing about this election for many years to come.
Following this further, Puntland is a region I’ve come to venerate profoundly for its traditional democratic credentials over the three elections. And now, I have seen that state has successfully transferred power for the fourth time in a row without an implosion. Puntland has done it again… it pulled off yet another peaceful election on this January 8!
There are many lessons that we must learn from the way Puntland Politicians transformed their politics of objectivity and vision for the well-being of the masses. Just a couple of weeks since the US-trained economist picked up the mantle power (presidency), Puntland leadership has set an example, to the whole world in general and Somalis particular that their politics has reached a maturity stage.
In point of fact, Puntland has risen from the ashes of bygone eras and the recent election was just badge of big hit.
Unlike what is common in most African country, where political leaders don’t seat side by side, Puntland has put a halt to such practices; it was On December 29, 2013, when Abdirahman Mohamed Farole met with former Puntland President Gen. Mohamud Muse Hersi(Political Rival) at the state house. The two men discussed issues of peace and how together they can evacuate the rupturing state, with joint press conference, both leaders agreed to bury the hatch, all right already!. The candidates also endorsed the Vetting and Conflict Resolution Committee’s task.
This should be a word to the wise and our politicians have to learn that being rivals in election must not jeopardize the welfare of the country.
Days before the countdown, almost all the pundits were predicting that the election would end up in rancor dispute, and to the far, would run into some trouble. Does that ring a bell?
When such an atmosphere is cultivated, nobody should be surprised that violence has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Worse than that, It was remarkable how any individual can weather the storm of hype and use skewed logic and fallacies, claiming for example that, if Abdirahman Farole was to be missed the hit, the state as a whole would end up in ’dire strait ‘.
But such fallacies, fabrications, political gyrations and tumultuous commotions, did not draw puntlanders from focusing on their own core message…..Peace As Usual!
Sooner after the final whistle was blown, Abdirahman Farole’s marginal lose sounded counterintuitive , but once he was called to the stage, Mr Abdirahman, with his deep, powerful, familiar voice “admitted his defeat” leaving his listeners spellbound. Almost all bystanders were struck with mixture of bafflement and bliss as he was finally received standing ovation.
Those who have ruled the state have acted in a way which demonstrates that they are very happy to be led also. The former leaders know both to lead and be led! One must feel enviable and wish that the rest of the country reaches this level of achievement in the not-too-distant future.
On the other hand, Congratulation messages were booming, almost all opting to praise punltand leaders for holding peaceful election. Nicholas Kay, The UN special envoy to Somalia, welcomed Mr Gas’s victory.
The Media was also circulating with similar tidings, “Mr Gas, the prime minister of Somalia in an interim administration from June 2011 to October 2012, said he welcomed the fact that Mr Farole had accepted defeat with “great dignity”. Wrote by the BBC’s editorial column, and then added “It is rare for East African leaders to step down without challenging election results”.
TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY
History has a stunning way of repeating itself, and there is no better illustration of this than Puntland’s Jan 8 2014 election. Though the anatomy of that voting system was corruptible secret ballot, and to the fact that performances were less stellar…..but the process has been fascinating to say the least, politics is that and so much more.
What makes this truly commendable is the fact that Land of Punt has maintained its reputation as an oasis of peace in a troubled region of Somalis where smooth elections are not always taken for granted.
In a plain word, the region has proven to be permanently in transition to an irreversible democratic journey (one must differentiate transition to democracy from the mere concept of democratization). The process has gradually begun, like a snowslide that’s almost imperceptible during its initial movement but gets bigger as it grows, so has the journey started.
The rest of Somalis must try to learn closely and modestly to such lessons and congratulate this tiny state for its remarkable and exemplary achievements in showing the world that it has embarked on, one that will long continue and that will overcome the test of time and the hazards of any foreseen and unforeseen misfortune.
In wrapping-up, it should be noted that puntland political landscape has taken new course in which I believe the young leaders should sit on the driving seat while elders share their experience. But the Question is, will H.E Dr.Abdiwali Gas be able to hit the bull’s-eye and lead the state forward? Time will tell.
Abdiwahab M. Ali
Email:waberi444@gmail.com