By Ahmed Abdirahman
Congratulations to Puntland President-elect Saed Abdullahi Deni for winning the much contested election on January 8, 2019. Mr. Deni was the ultimate winner in a crowded field of candidates and the magnitude of his victory doesn’t need much elaboration. However, there were a lot more winners and losers than President-elect Deni. Allow me to remark some of those.
Winners:
1) Puntland residents
This was the fifth peaceful transfer of power in Puntland’s 20 years of existence. While the election was not done by one-person one-vote, it was nonetheless a tremendous milestone in such a pivotal political moment in the country. Compare to what just transpired in South West State election where over a dozen unarmed civilians were gunned down and a leading contender was arbitrary arrested by rogue foreign security forces, Puntlanders largely thwarted too much Mogadishu meddling despite the pouring of large sums of cash in the waning hours of the election. The election process was transparent and well organized. Security was adequate and candidates were able to visit most major cities of the region to present their case for the top leadership position. Puntland residents should also be encouraged by the number and depth of the many candidates that wanted to lead them. This proofs once again that the position of Puntland presidency is a much coveted and an important position.
2) Abdiweli Ali Gaas
It may be counter intuitive to classify a sitting president who failed to even make out of the first round as a winner but I’m not judging President Gaas’ tenure here or even his political acumen. That will be debated at the right time and place. Instead, what I’m arguing when looked at objectively is that President Gaas, while falling much short on his promise of democratic reforms and political parties, should be commended for holding the election without any delay or violence despite the armed confrontation just outside Garowe in Tukaraq, the simmering tension with the Federal Government and their supporters, chief among them Former Puntland president Faroole who was hell bent to see Gaas lose the election.
President Gaas’ vetting committee turned out to be decisive and up to the task. The election, at all levels, was well organized, transparent and cordial. He accepted defeat graciously and handed Puntland to its next leader. He showed tremendous neutrality in the many inter-clan conflicts in the region and will be remembered as a peaceful person. He challenged the uncalled and unwarranted Farmaajo/Khayre interferences of the various Federal Member States and fiercely protected Puntland’s interest against their nefarious meddling.
Finally, President Gaas can take little bit of solace in the simple fact that Nabad iyo Nolol’s preferred candidate/s didn’t win. Yes President Gaas lost his re-election bid and that should sting on a personal and political level but he might have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by how well he handled defeat thus far and by getting us there smoothly and without any turbulence. And for that he should be commended!
3) Former Puntland President Abdirahman Faroole
Faroole was a thorn on President Gaas’ side ever since he lost narrowly to Gaas five years ago. He is now a member of the upper house of the Federal Parliament and remained a heavy critic of President Gaas. He campaigned hard against President Gaas and wanted to defeat him at any cost. He proofed his political shrewdness in how he managed two of his favorite candidates, President-elect Said Deni and former Finance Minister under Faroole Farah Ali Shire to move to the second round and ultimately one of them, Deni to emerge victorious. While Faroole’s win at any cost rubbed many people the wrong way and one could argue that some of his rhetoric was beneath the level and stature of someone at his level, he nonetheless proved his political maneuvering against his political nemesis. He also showed that he is still a force to be reckoned with in Puntland politics and particularly in his stronghold Garowe.
Losers:
1) Farmaajo/Khayre
Mogadishu was confused at the outset. They didn’t have any coherent strategy or preferred candidates. Instead, they had two objectives. One was to dislodge President Gaas at any cost. Their second objective was to have either one of their preferred candidate/s or someone seen as a political novice and an unallied candidate that they can then mold into their own side win. They were successful in their first objective as President Gaas was defeated handily. They dispatched former President Faroole, a close ally of the federal mandate busting Farmaajo/Khayre cohort interestingly. Faroole attacked President Gaas mercilessly and campaigned hard against him. It worked as Gaas failed to advance from the first round.
Fortunately, the Federal Government wasn’t successful in their second objective. The winner, Mr. Deni is a seasoned politician with strong ties to former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud and his Damuljadiid function. He is wealthy businessman with many connections all across Somalia and is keenly aware of the political dynamics of the country. Therefore, he is neither an unallied neutral nor a political novice. If Farmaajo/Khayre’s driving goal was to get re-elected in two years’ time and therefore to consolidate federal member states power, they failed miserably and even worse, a close confident of their biggest political challenger won Puntland presidency.
Not only did the Federal Government failed at their attempt to have strong footprint in Puntland elections, some of their actions backfired and were embarrassing. One day before the election, they tried to send large official government delegation led by Foreign Minister and native of Garowe Ahmed Isse Awad to tilt the election in their favor. However, Mr. Awad’s aircraft didn’t even attempt to fly out of Mogadishu as they were refused landing in Garowe. The delegation finally arrived after the election process was concluded and a new president elected. As they say, “they came a day late and a dollar short” to the delight of many across the country.
2) Eng. Abdihakin Camey
Mr. Camey hails from a noble traditional family and much was expected from him when he became Vice President for President Gaas five years ago. The thought was that Mr. Camey would tirelessly work to consolidate the fractured sociopolitical fabric in and around his Sool home state in an effort to free Las Anod and other key parts of Sool region from the occupying Somaliland forces. He failed miserably. Far from bringing people together and liberating Las Anod, more areas in Sool and Cayn fell into the hands of Somaliland. He alienated his most loyal constituencies by how indifferent he seemed to their plight.
Over the course of the last year or so, Mr. Camey completely lost any lasting hope to redeem himself by deliberately working against his own self-interest and position. He became vociferous in his contempt for President Gaas openly criticizing him and siding with Farmaajo/Khayre against his own government and that of the Council of Interstate Cooperation (CIC). His gaffes and tantrums become so abundant he became a laughingstock and he would often find himself apologizing from one gaffe or another. His stock hit rock-bottom when at the waning days of his tenure, he attempted to challenge President Gaas’ legal appointment of key election committee, the vetting and conflict resolution committee. Of course he failed at this miserably and along with him, stained the names of good candidates. What did Camey got in exchange for his madness? Apparently, unconfirmed reports indicate that he was promised for an ambassador position by the federal government somewhere. Go figure!
3) Council of Interstate Cooperation (CIC/GIDG)
President Gaas was the architect of the Council of Interstate Cooperation (CIC or GIDG in Somali) which was setup initially by the leaders of the federal member states as a mechanism to confront the federal government in a unified way. The CIC was off to a rough start from the get go when President of HirShabelle caved to Federal Government pressure and left the group. Later Sharif Hassan of SWS resigned leaving only three of the original five remaining. Now with President Gaas gone, we can officially write the obituary of this short-lived entity much to the delight of President Farmaajo and his cohorts.
All in all, it is quite a relieve knowing that the election season passed peacefully, some won and some lost perhaps unexpectedly, but that life goes on and for most ordinary Somalis and those in Puntland with respect to this election, their fate will largely remain unchanged if past performance is to go by! Perhaps this is the biggest take away!
Ahmed Abdirahman
Email:[email protected]
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