Aden Mohamed Tani
Thursday, February 12, 2009
From South Africa to Sweden, from Sydney to Toronto and from London to Minnesota, Somalis in the Diaspora organised these days colourful parties to welcome a charismatic, young and moderate Religious politician namely Mr Sharif Ahmed as the new president of Somalia.
As a Somali who critical observe Somali celebrations specially those organised by Somalis in the Diaspora, I would like to join these celebrations from the sincere prospective of the peace loving and peace waiting Somali Nation specially in South/Central Somalia and say welcome Mr President to the paining Somali political Arena and wish you a good hand for peace and change.
However, democratically elected Presidents (with clearly defined constitutional roll) are celebrated fanatically or enthusiastically by their sympathising political supporters or by hardcore party members. In the Somali context, honestly there is nothing to celebrate today because we have not the time and adequate room or space to celebrate in any way.
To celebrate colourfully a President without office or government let alone a country makes questionable the sincerity of such expensive parties in the Diaspora. In addition to that and according to the present Charter of “Somalia” the president elected is a president with out any strong or dominating constitutional political power. Accordingly, the President has yet to nominate a Premier Minister who will lead executively the governing body (Cabinet) of the Country which we are supposed also to welcome and celebrate.
The problems between the ex-Colonel and ex-president of Somalia Mr Abdillahi Yusuf Ahmed and his prime Ministers were exactly based on a wrongly misunderstood Constitutional power sharing. The driving force of such destructive misunderstanding doesn’t necessarily come always from the president or Premier Minister alone but it comes to a great portion from the Somali public who cannot read a charter or a constitution or may be even don’t know or respect a charter or constitution which is a fundamental play rule of politics but are able to give unlimited power a president out of the blue.
Consequently, if the political play ground of the coming Somali homeless government be based on the said power assumptions, a conflict between Somali president and his Premier Ministry is fully programmed. Therefore, it is irresponsible to celebrate a president who has no constitutional power. It would have been wise and supportive to party after the president nominates his Premier Minister and the premier minister presents a cabinet to the nation for the Hercules job to be tackle in Somalia Soon.
Practically thinking and while neither a strong President nor Premier Minister can alone solve the burning problems of Somalia let us celebrate them together and tell them to unite for the better of the nation.
It is tasteless, primitive and doesn’t make any sense to celebrate a president just to annoy or humiliate a neighbour or just to manifest that the president is from your clan. If that is the case in the Diaspora it is taste less and harmful for the elected President and for the national case.
I know that self declared Mujahiidin in the Diasporas are misusing and manipulating politically the election of the President. It is the responsibility of those who are sincerely supporting the President in the Interest of our nation to distance themselves from those who only want to continue the hate among our nation.
The president and his Premier Minister muss not listen to those who don’t read a constitution but are able to give constitutional power to someone they like on the bases of clan
The president and his Premier Minister must first and foremost learn and understand their constitutional roll while constitutional roll shouldn’t be taken as dogma at this stage of peace finding process in our Country.
Consequently, Mr President, don’t listen to the fake and tendentious parties in the Diasporas. Listen to your premier minister and he must listen to you and respect each other for the common goal.
If a President and his Premier Minister sticks to cooperation instead of confrontation, neither the self declared clan leaders in Mogadishu nor other trouble makers in Somalia will be able to create a rift between the two leaders.
Therefore, let us party for a dedicate government team for Somalia but not only for a President alone. Otherwise we will have another Abdillahi Yusuf Ahmed in a short time.
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Aden Mohamed Tani