THE MOCKERY OF OUR DEMOCRACY
August 18, 2008

Without any legitimate justification, the government and the two opposition parties keep tinkering with the election time table. The recent agreement among the political parties to postpone and switch the municipal and the presidential elections puts a question mark on the credibility of our political process. To eliminate the formation of new political associations at the primary stage (Municipal elections), the leadership of Kulmiye party insisted on the new controversial arrangement. This might have caught Qaran political association off guard, but is business as usual for Kulmiye- Expediency overrules all matter of principle. The gentleman who, a few months ago, opined that, “Kulmiye is not what it used to be," sure has learned a lesson or two.

This new dispensation makes our political process an exclusive club perpetually reserved for UDUB, KULMIYE, and ACID. How long does the silhouette of the trio cast this insidious spell over the political landscape? Not for too long by any stretch of the imagination. Our constitution does not limit the number of political associations participating at the primary stage; therefore, the tri-party agreement is a manipulative bold faced unconstitutional and illegitimate piece of crap.

As the often re-scheduled election date approaches, our politicians go on a no-holds barred vitriolic exchange of accusations and counter attacks. Although the onset of the campaign is more than six and half months away, the brinkmanship and the accompanying empty rhetoric puzzles the electorate. The international community is seriously concerned about these constantly shifting election schedules.

A seasoned politician ought to know when to throw in the towel; or else, the whole drama abruptly ends like the proceedings of the famous "Scopes Monkey Trial" of July 10- July 21, 1925. William Jennings Bryan [March 19, 1860-July 26, 1925], one of the greatest speakers of his day and a lawyer, was a permanent fixture in the American presidential elections of 1896, 1900, and 1908. William McKinley defeated Mr. Bryan in 1896 and 1900 and Mr. William Howard Taft defeated him again in 1908. The populist views of Mr. William Jennings Bryan failed to galvanise the support of the electorate.

William Thomas Scopes was a High School Science teacher in Tennessee. He was put on trial for teaching Charles Darwin's theory "On the Origin of Species." Darwin theorised that humans originated from lower forms of life and this in direct contravention of the Divine creation of man. Clarence Darrow headed the defense team and William Jennings Bryan lead the prosecution. The American media of the day widely publicised the proceedings. Although the defense put up a solid case, Mr. Scopes was convicted on moral grounds.

The leadership of our three political parties put our nation's infant democracy on a monkey trial. For example, the Kulmiye party convention of March 29-31, 2008 was shrouded in duplicity and hypocrisy as documented by the Somaliland movement for change. The party chairman presented a well orchestrated and a stage managed performance for public consumption. To this day the party has failed to spell out the details of the delegate selection process. The chairman used an outdated formula of his own creation to hand pick seven hundred individuals enthusiastically clapping and chanting, often interspersed with a deafening drum beat. Was it a slow motion re-enactment of the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party gatherings? It sure does smell like it.

Now, caught in a tangled spider and the contorted ugly manifestations of defeat written all over the place, then it becomes a high season to spread the dragnet of blame far and wide-a drowning man clutches to the dross or so goes the old cliché. If anyone is to take the rap for the party's misfortunes, the buck stops at the desk of the chairman. Make no mistake about it: Nocturnal excursions to far off reaches of the country will never secure the Holy Grail, at least not for the foreseeable future! Neither does the fashionable art of othering and finger pointing deflect the direction of the ominous tropical doldrums heading towards the invincible Bismarck. Perhaps, we will all be better of to search for King Solomon's seal that fell into the Red Sea!

The hall marks of an all inclusive broad based national party are transparency, accountability, integrity, honesty, consensus building, and above all compromise where the politics of the day warrant. The electorate highly values the competence and the quality of the leadership, the ideology, and the core principles of any political party, if any. The discipline and cohesiveness within the party hierarchy is paramount to any party's longevity. At the critical time, the dealings of the organisation should be in good faith and transparent.

At the micro-cosm of the party level, the management of internal crisis among the competing undercurrents is the future measuring yardstick of the party's success or failure at the reigns of power. A would be national leader should rise above clan politics. Clan conferences are for the sultans and the tribal chiefs; politicians should avoid such gatherings at all times. This nation of ours has gone through a transformation process to democratise our political institutions.

Neck laced with a 4.50 clan based formula at the Arta peace conference; the human savages of southern Somalia are unable to establish even a nominal government acceptable to the warring factions. Do we need to borrow a page from our southern neighbours?

Ahmed Ali Ibrahim Sabeyse