New Political Development in Puntland, Somalia

New era has downed on Puntland, northeastern part of Somalia, following the footsteps of northwestern part of Somalia, or Somaliland, a historic moment indeed: new political party has been formed that shall compete for power through elections, where ordinary people shall choose who shall lead them.

The party members and its leaders happen to be actors who are currently ruling the region. The new party, Horseed, vanguard, calls on others in the region to form political parties and compete for power.

To appreciate the importance of this new political dispensation, two factors ought to looked at very closely:

First, Somali society has historically lacked centralized political organization, thus it existed as small independent political organizations, called clan or tribe or what have you. This new political dispensation hopes to change that society, being clan-based society, into political party-based society that does the same thing in legitimate fashion, compete for power and resources within the rule of law. Moreover, the new dispensation favors political entities to clan entities and streamlines this process. It will take long time for society to move from one to another, but the process has just begun, more work can be done now, it is great opportunity indeed.

Second, Shebab, an Al-Qaida linked group, poses serious threat to all Somalia, including Puntland region, because it wishes to take all over Somalia by force and then rule them tyrannically. It neither recognizes clan-based societies nor political-based societies, instead it recognizes itself, as sole power broker for the republic of Somalia, gloom shall descend upon all those people who shall witness, God forbid, the day in which Shebab shall all over Somalia. In this sense, it is neither reactionary, nor progressive, but it is repressive, to be sure. The popularization of the rule, that is allowing people to choose who shall rule them, poses mortal threat to Shebab, for they wish to rule, without the consent of the people, but with the force. The venue through which it has pushed this agenda, includes, but not limited to, assassination of all those who can potentially oppose its tyrannical project, regardless of their affiliations or profession.  The formation of a political party by ruling elites and their acceptance to compete, therefore, represents a fundamental assault on Shebab’s political ambitions, to concentrate power within its hands, especially in the hands of the few, such as Ahmed Godane and his close associates, who chose either to vanish or take all over Somalia by force, and subsequently, do as they please.

It is for this reason we celebrate the moment.

 

Source of the picture Raxanreeb.com