Mr. President De-monopolize the monopolized
multiparty system

Ibrahim Mead
Political analyst
Ottawa Ontario, Canada
 

To call the ‘trio’- the three nominal parties which have undermined the multiparty system for so long, for advice whether to open up (wondering who shut it!) the multi-party system or not, is like one calling a ‘sole shop owner’ in a village and asked his advice whether to open more shops selling the same product, in the same village, competing with the same (people) consumers! What do you think his advice would be? Of course he would advice against opening more shops which gives the people more choices, but looses him many clients because that is against his monopolistic interest. Faisal and the other ‘due’ are sole shop owners in the village of Somaliland!
Bear in mind the sole three shops in the village are rotten and undesirable.

The village is fed-up for being hostage to the ‘trio’ for so long. The village wants choices and not only choices but better shops, so let us open up for new fresh political parts to compete each other.
Let us give the people a chance to choose their best which they deserve and which they never had, unless we believe that people don’t deserve any right to choose from many choices and choose the better ones and the best!
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Calling the three nominal parties for advice in this regard is beyond my understanding! They are not the consumers; they are the providers of rotten product for so long. Both Faisal and the ex- vice president are neither shy nor saying it low in their voices and resistance against other parts to come to the market. They shamelessly say,” it will be the end of the world if other choices come and compete with them!” Leaving out the civil society in all its groups in this effort is unwise to say it mildly!

This move on the part of the president begs two questions to be answered:
1- whether the president is really serious about the multi-party system which Somaliland constitution allows and the Somaliland people deserve and which the president himself promised to do just that during his election campaign?
2-what is wrong with the president these days?
As Somali saying goes: a melancholic man questioned “Maxaa neefkaan gowracaba qulunquushaka raaciyay xagahori!” what ever he does these days he blunders!
There is a serious conflict of interest in the participation of the three existed parts in this advisory committee nominated by the president, regarding the multi-party system.
Let us give the people a chance and a choice to choose one of their best ones!
This committee nominated by the president to advice him whether to shut down the multi-party system and deny the people their inherent right to choose from the good and from the better and from the best. I think the political parties we have now are unattractive! Let the people have to choose from bad to good to better etc, etc.
Mr. President there is a conflict of interest for the trio to decide for opening up multi party system or to shut it down!.

A conflict of interest occurs when a person or organization is involved in various interests, one of which could possibly dent the motivation for an act in the other.
A conflict of interest can only exist if a person is entrusted with some impartiality;
a degree of trust is necessary to create it. Therefore, a conflict of interest can be discovered and it is discovered here in Mr. Siilanyo’s committee which he nominated for a task which they have a stake in it!

The advisory committee nominated by the president for multiparty system enshrined in the constitution apparently doesn’t want multi party contests which Somaliland constitution stipulates and the process of democracy necessitates. They want to keep the monopoly they already have, that is keeping their parties and prohibit new parties to come! That is keeping their hostages further!

To ask the three parties which have a stake in this for advice is unwise which one may characterize it as a deceptive move! It must be defused before this corruptive act occurs. If Mr. Siilanyo revisits his thinking regarding this unwise move or if and when the civil society understands the danger involves in this questionable move then impartial committee of wise and independent men and women ought to be established!

Lack of Code of ethics
Generally, codes of ethics forbid conflicts of interests. Codes of ethics help to minimize problems with conflicts of interests because they can spell out the extent to which such conflicts should be avoided, and how the parties should help to minimize unacceptable conflicts or improper acts when a conflict is unavoidable. Avoiding it altogether is the best way.

As codes of ethics cannot cover all situations, however some governments establish an office of the ethics commissioner. Somaliland needs ethics commissioner. Such commissioner may be appointed either by the House of Representatives or even by the president.
He may report to the elected representatives, or to the president for this matter but the said commissioner unlike the three existed parts which have an interest not to open more choices for the people must not have a stake in the issues in question.

The commissioner must come from the civil society, from wise men and women, from religious people from independent intellectuals but not from the trio and not from a government hoodlum!
 

Thus peace and prayers