The
Rapid Response Unit (RRU) has taken over the Somaliland Parliamentary compound yesterday
on 13th Nov. 2014, to replace the ordinary police force unit which
was responsible for the security of the parliament and which took orders from
the Speaker; the RRU unit is not expected to take orders from the House Speaker.
The
RRU is trained and supported to fight terrorism and has no business in meddling
in the internal democratic Parliamentary process.
It has been a very controversial topic in Somaliland for quite a while now,
that the RRU is diverted from its mandate and is used by the Government to
silence the opposition and other democratic voices such as the media. This
action proves that beyond doubt.
The
reason for their deployment is alleged to be, to muscle through an anticipated
government driven impeachment attempt of the Speaker of the House of
Representatives HE Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi – Cirro, who is also the
Chairman of the strongest opposition party in Somaliland (WADDANI), in this
session of the House, which is scheduled for this Saturday, the 15th of
November 2014.
The
most important agenda item for this session is the approval of the new National
Electoral Commission (NEC) and that is what the Government is trying to derail
by impeaching the Speaker. Its approval was planned to take place on the 25th
of October, but was delayed for lack of a quorum, when the majority KULMIYE MPs
abstained from attending the session.
The
RRU taking over the Parliament compound is an ominous development in Somaliland
for an election year; the Presidential/Parliamentary election is due on 26 June
2015. It is unfortunately a repeat of the 2009 episode, when the current President
- Silanyo was in the opposition;-the then reigning UDUB party brought Somaliland
to the brink of a civil war after it locked out the MPS, but after mass demonstrations,
which involved loss of live, the reigning President Rayaale had to back down; and
also after the timely intervention of the international community had to accept
a successful election roadmap; (refer ISG, 13t Sept 2009 – Political
Brinkmanship – A Close Call for Somaliland).
The
current political crisis revolves around two opposing political stands: a)
President Silanyo and his party KULMIYE are determined to get a two-year
extension of their mandate without holding an election and b) the opposition
parties WADDANI and UCID, are determined to have the election take place on
time in 26 June 2015, with the support of the civil society forces including
the National Dialogue Forum (MADASHA) and the other mainstream civic and civil
society forces as well as the Somaliland public.
To
achieve its ends, the Government is blocking these two key agenda items which are
now going through the two Houses of Parliament: the approval of the new
National Electoral Commission (NEC) and the passing of the Voter and Civil
Registration Law. If these two agenda items are accomplished, then the election
preparation process will start and could be held around its due date.
However,
if the Government continues to block them, then valuable time will be lost and
the Government plans to ask the Guurti to give it the extension it is craving
for. It is already in the media that the leadership of Guurti and the Presidency/KULMIYE
have taken the decision behind closed doors to execute a two-year extension.
The leadership of the Guurti has openly participated in the delay tactic
process, by blocking the Voter Registration Law to go through the House Elders
and returning it for the second time to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
Finally,
the ominous undemocratic collusion of the Guurti and the Presidency/KULMIYE is clearly
leading to the destabilization of Somaliland. The WADDANI party is determined
to use all its powers in the Parliament and in the Party, and in collaboration
with the other opposition party and the civil society to mobilize the
Somaliland public to accomplish the Voter Registration and to have Presidential
and Parliamentary elections held around their due date in 2015.
We
call upon our international partners to support us rescue Somaliland democracy,
stability and its hard-won oasis of peace status before it is too late.
Mr. Mohamed Abdillahi Uradde
The Secretary General of WADDANI Party
