By ABDILLAHI MOHAMED SAAD
"cag weynow maroodiga mar bay caaro lagadaaye
baddu mar bay caaridaa oo ciidda la arkaaye
hadday curato maandeeq mar baa la candha saabaaye
ceelkii wahyiya maalin baad ka cabbi weydaaye" |
A state in a pure democracy, draws no ... distinctions between man and man ... but conceives that
all who form the community shall have a right to share in its representation...views every man
as politically equal. Political equality I understand to be something very different from the common
views of it. It does not mean that if one man holds an opinion that is popular it shall be of use to
him in obtaining a representative; while another man's which is unpopular, shall be of no use
to him whatever. It means this--that every man's vote shall have it's weigh , wherever he may
live, and whatever tribe or clan he may belong to.
In almost every democratic country in the world election laws are based on the principal of
proportionality , in which the constituencies are represented in parliament in accordance
with the percentage of votes each receives.
The electoral system of Somaliland suffers a huge democratic deficit . it strikingly misrepresents
the popular will of the people. this bias in favor of some regions is totally unacceptable.
In the state of Awdal, for example, 139000 voters casted their ballots.The region has the second
largest population in the country, and two major clans ( Samaroon and Issa) call it home.
Somehow, however, there are only 13 seats allocated for the state. despite all of these,
joys and celebrations for the outcome filled the streets of Ottawa to downtown Oslo, and from Seattle to
Saylac the party continues. Is this something worthy of celebration? you will be the judge.......
Our current system of electoral injustice is not justified, as some would say, on the basis
that it promotes stability, avoids political upheaval observed in many parts in Africa, and brings
recognition from the united nations and other members of the international community.
This alleged justification is embarrassingly vulnerable to the facts, which demonstrates that
such instability is the result of factors in the political environment of these countries which
are not duplicated in Somaliland. This poor justification, and the misuse of the issues of world
recognition and peace could be backfired.
The new parliament of Somaliland consists of 82 MPs from all over the country.
The Isaaqs will outnumber the Samaroons by four to one ( 4 to 1). There is
only one issa Mp. No representatives from the large and long-oppressed Gabooye people.
Ciidagale and the corvette( an American made vehicle) have something in common; they both
have two seats.The newly formed state of Saaxil will send 10 men to Hargeisa.
Injustice in Djibouti is not rectified by injustice in Saylac, nor does injustice in Hargeisa rectify
injustice in Awdal. injustice rectifies nothing. it is an evil everywhere and always.
Majorities will always continue to rule; we only plead for more accurate system of recording votes,
so that we may ascertain how great the majority ought to be.
ABDILLAHI MOHAMED SAAD ( CABDILLAHI CUNAYE)
E-mail: JOHNATTANSAAD@YAHOO.CA | 
