By Mohamed F Yabarag

Whenever you think the misery of Somali people is about to come to an end, there crops up another bout of insanity from somewhere. Current political crisis in Mogadishu have come as a result of the incompetency, shallowness and political brinkmanship of the men at the top of the three institutions of the state: the president, the Speaker and, yes, the toothless and rubber-stamping judiciary headed by Ilkafanax. After a rare political stability in Mogadishu, a little over a year now, Somali politicians are once again at each other’s throat rekindling their clan-inspired and cutthroat politics of the past without giving the slightest considerations to the suffering of Somali people they are meant to be leading to the promised land of hope and opportunities. This time the main culprit and the man the finger of blame is rightly pointed at is none other the head of state, President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud. A President, touted by many as the messiah of Somali people, is fast becoming a dictator. The incumbent has let down everyone: the cheering and flag-waving Somalis all over the world following his triumph over Sheikh Sharif about a year ago; the international community who seem to have high hopes for the country for the first time in two horrifying decades; and of course the donor community who pledged a massive reconstruction money worth of more than two billion dollars to ensure the country back on its feet.

Somalia is in complete political shambles once again, and the likelihood of the country emerging unscathed from this latest episode of political stalemate is indeed very remote. Even with the departure of premier Saacid, the country will still experience the same political bickering that have become a norm rather than an exception lately, so long as the roles and responsibilities of the President and the Premiership are blurred under the current provisions of the Somali constitution. If future political disagreements were to be avoided, Somalia should go for a parliamentary democracy similar to those currently being practiced in Western Europe where the victorious political parties form the government, or a presidential form of democracy, like the US and France. The current political system, ridden with controversy and prone to clan-ism, cannot simply serve the Somali populace any more.

Throughout the crisis and since the ouster of Somalia’s last strongman, Siyad Barre, the country was taking one small step forward and two giant steps backward, resulting in a zero progress in every conceivable department. If Somalis were going to let one man run the whole country in the interest of his own clan and his inner circles, one might ask, what was the point of toppling the last central government of Somalia? At the very least we had one country under that government, unlike the current cluster of clan-based so-called regional governments that serve the interests of the few.

After dithering more than one month since his selection, giving him the infamous nickname, Gurguurte (snail), the Somali President handpicked premier Saacid from a pool of high-flying individuals with impressive CVs, rumored to number around 50. According to insiders, Premier Saacid, who presided over the most ineffective cabinet ever – though their selection cannot be entirely blamed on him and was shoved down into his throat – was the least qualified for the post in terms of education, experience and of course in terms of proven skills and abilities to steer a country as broken and as impoverished as Somalia to a respectable level of governance and political normalcy. When asked why he had chosen this unknown and inexperienced candidate for the toughest job in the land, President Hassan’s answer was simply this: I have a personal knowledge of Mr. Saacid and he is a man I can work with. What he actually meant to say was this: I need a puppet man; a yes man who can follow my orders.

From the word go, there was never a teamwork between the two. The President has usurped the role of Premiership, made the judiciary an ineffective rubber-stamping institution and taken the Speaker of Parliament for a ride. Consequently, the whole power is now at the hands of the President and his large entourage of cronies and spin doctors. From the day-to-day running of government chores to touring the world cities and welcoming foreign dignitaries, down to the simplest task of appointing a lowly officer to a government position, it was a one-man show all along under Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud’s one-year long presidency. The incumbent seems to be a throwback to the old days of Siyad Barre where the decision-making process was entirely confined to the president’s office and his inner circles. Under the current circumstances, I wonder if anyone worth of his salt will fancy the vacant position of the premiership with enthusiasm, given that any disagreement with the man at the top will result in a quick and disgraceful exit from Villa Somalia.

According to the roadmap that produced the current federal government of Somalia (FGS), the country should be going into the polls in less than three years’ time. However, in the absence of government and civil institutions to facilitate such electoral process, there is no hell in chance that such an election will take place in 2016. The provisional federal constitution (PFC) is awash with many pitfalls and contradictions that need to be sorted out before such election is envisaged. A proper reconciliation process has yet to take place between FGS and the regional governments of Somalia. The President’s in-tray is bulging with many hot issues that require to be tackled urgently sooner rather than later. And yet the President seems to be obsessed with power consolidation instead of delegating and facing these significant issues head on.

To conclude this piece, if the President of Somalia is serious about the pledges he made during his inauguration ceremony in front of millions of yearning Somalis that he will serve his people with distinction and lead the country to a free and fair election in 2016, for a starter he should appoint a competent, honest and able Prime Minster who has a free hand in running the affairs of the country. Anything short of that will mean the continuation of the status quo and subsequently will prolong the political bickering that was synonymous with his predecessors and now re-visiting his reign. The second most important step that Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud needs to take before his time runs out is institution-building. No nation can make any meaningful progress without building solid civil and government institutions, which are unfortunately nonexistent right now. In this department, the omen is not looking good as the incumbent is gradually sliding towards an autocratic rule, if not an outright dictatorship. And finally and most importantly, the President should stop interfering the day-to-day running of the prime minister’s duties and stick to his constitutional role as the head of the state. In Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, Somalia may be witnessing another dictator in the making.

Mohamed F Yabarag
Wardheernews Contributor
Email:myabarag@gmail.com