Somalia: Has Puntland manipulated MPs selection process
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Has Puntland manipulated MPs selection process?
By Liban Ahmad
OPINION
Th dispute over selection of Members of Parliament from Dhulbahante sub-clan between Puntland and Khaatumo administrations shows an element of clan fanaticism with which Somalia’s post-transition leaders will have to grapple. The easy but wrong solution to this dispute is to blame one administration for claiming to have more representation privileges than it is entitled to. Puntland president justified MPs allegedly ” asurped’ by Puntland on grounds of division among the Dhulbahante sub-clan.
Two traditional leaders at the heart of this dispute are Mohamud Haji Omar Amay and Abdullahi Ahmed Ali Dabagooye participated in Khaatumo conference in Taleh in January. They have not opposed Khaatumo but may have some political differences with Khaatumo’s major decision makers ( some traditional leaders and career politicians). Mohamud Amay and Abdullahi Dabagooye are known to maintain ties with Puntland. There was no provision in Khaatumo charter outlawing elders to maintain ties with Puntland as long as they do not oppose Khaatumo administration.
The onus was on both Khaatumo and Puntland leaders: Khaatumo leaders should have never questioned the right of the two prominent traditional leaders to select two MPs; Punland president, Farole, and prime minister Dr Abdiweli Ali , also from Puntland, should have distanced themselves from influencing the process of selecting MPs to avoid accusations that they faked or are exploiting Dhulbahante split to let Puntland have the privilege to select two pro-Puntland MPs.
By using raw political power traditional and political leaders of Khaatumo have forgotten the bigger picture of allowing two genuine traditional leaders ( Amay and Dabagooye) to have a role in selecting MPs for people whose districts and hamlets are claimed by two administrations (Puntland and Somaliland).
Liban Ahmad
libahm@gmail.com
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The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Raxanreeb’s editorial policy.
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This article makes no sense at all. The title lays full blame at Puntland where as the article itself states that both parties are at fault. Raxanreeb is geting worse by the day.
Dear Liban,
Thanks for your attempt to over explain something that is so simple. The two gents you have reffered to are not traditional elders as per the protocols ending the transition. Amey is an elder (oday) but he is not even caaqil let alone a Garad. His nephew is the Aqil of Egal Farah, the mojor sub clan of Reer Hagar. The traditional elder of the rear Hagar and the overall Ahmed Garad is Garad Abdullahi Garad Soofe.
Secondly in a Dabagooye of Hayag clan is no longer a recognized traditional leader of his clan. The he has been deposed from his seat by the very people who have elected him to this possition- note that he did not inherit the title from his father as per Garad Jama, Garad Saleebaan, Garad Abdullahi and your own Garad Garad Jama Garad Ismail. On practical matter, Hayag would not get a seat from Baho nugaaleed owing this to the number of their constituents. Thus, the two baho numaagaleed are from Ugaasyo and Yahye.
Please don’t placate your Puntland friends, this is a test of nobility for Dhulbahante. One thing is for sure, if the Darood don’t sort out this issue and Farole uses his signatory position to muscle in the Darood must know that the next SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT WILL HAIL FROM DHULBHANTE!
@ Sarman Xaakim,
Aqil Mohamud Omar Amay belongs to political dynasty. His brother was once an MP and a minister of the pre-1969 civilian regime; Buuhoodle is part of Togheer region. Yes , both Aqil Mohamud Omar Amay and Garad Jama Garad Ali belong to same sub-sub clan ( Garad Jama’s father was once an MP from Las Anod and minister in the civilian government before the military coup). Regional differentiation and historical traditional leadership entitle Aqil Mohamud Omar Amay to the decision-making title he has. I don’t think Khaatumo was created to strip traditional leaders of their titles.
Its funny that the leadership of Khatuumo pick and chose which aqil or chief is legitimate or not. Clearly Amay has some clout and should have been included in the decision making towards the new Dhulbahante mps. Many Dhulbahantes are not direct supporters of Khatuumo, why should ali khalif pick all the Dhulbante Mps. Too bad the Khatuumo leadership did not involve power regional dhulbahante players and now are paying for their decisions.
99% of Dhulbahante People don’t support Faroole , why should Faroole pick some of Dhulbahante Mps???? Why should Faroole pick and choose which Garaad and elder is legitimate or not? Dhulbahnte has 14 Garaads or traditional elders, and Camay is not of the 14 Dhulbahante clan elders. Also, Dhulbahante has more than 1000 Caqil, and Camey is not one of the Cuqaal.