After Dhusamareb, Somalia leaders guilty of kicking the can down the road

EDITORIAL | After nearly a week of meetings in the Dhusamareb, the capital of Galmudug state, Somalia’s leaders failed to determine which model of elections should be chosen. They couldn’t agree on the date of elections or even the participants.

Instead, the leaders reportedly ‘agreed’ on timely elections. With all the funfair and photo ops in Galmudug, Somalia’s political leaders failed to guide the ordinary citizens on their political future.

There are those who argue that the mere acceptance to meet by President Farmaajo, Prime Minister Hassan Khaire, and leaders from Puntland, Hirshabelle, Jubaland, South-West, and Galmudug was a publicity coup.

Fair enough, this was a first physical meeting in more than a year. The last such meeting failed to agree on national security priorities last year in May; leaving a blank space in a key policy for the country.

The events leading to the Dhusamareb Conference, as this meeting has been known, had only depicted uncertainty. Leaders haggled on a venue and when they met virtually, initially, they failed to agree on an agenda. When an initial meeting was scheduled in Mogadishu, it failed to materialize; another indication of mistrust.

So when they gathered in Dhusamareb, there were many things on their in-tray: Covid-19 was ravaging the country with 3135 infections and 93 deaths; uncertainties about elections, a failing economy owing to various natural disasters and al-Shabaab.

Yet in Dhusamareb, Covid-19 was not even mentioned in the dispatches. Was it an oversight? Some leaders argued the biggest issue in the room was elections. But even that left questions. After days of haggling, Somalia’s leaders ‘agreed’ that the elections won’t be delayed. But they didn’t state when it should be held.

They agreed to form a joint technical committee to advise on the model of elections. They agreed to meet in a fortnight to discuss progress.  We think leaders used Dhusamareb to kick the can down the road. This was the Summit of leadership in the country.

If there was any decision to be made was now. The President came to the meeting well aware that the National Independent Electoral Commission had conceded it was unable to hold elections on time, citing lack of money, proper legal regime, and wrangling between members of FMS and the federal government.

That they had gathered, for once, was a better opportunity to address those concerns. So why couldn’t the President propose in public his preferred electoral model? Why did the leaders choose to use a technical committee whose recommendations may still not be agreed upon? If the leaders couldn’t agree on a model this time, can they change their minds in a fortnight? And will the NIEC now be compelled to hold elections in a schedule it already renounced?

The electoral Commission obviously will need lots of reassuring and support including independence.

Farmajo's speech at the conclusion of the Federal Government and Federal States conference signaled that he is not satisfied with the communique and seems he will need further consultations with his circle back in Mogadishu. His decision, we believe can help the yet-formed committee to fruitfully work on studying modality of the election.   

But there was further confusion. Ahead of this meeting, the Lower House had passed electoral regulations ostensibly to guide on the one-person-one-vote. However controversial, the regulations now assented to by Farmaajo form a legal regime. Will the technical committee endorse them? Will the Committee have the legal authority to ignore those regulations? This is why the President should have stood up to provide guidance on a national matter. Instead, his office issued a rallying defense against claims he was interfering with the electoral commission or parliament. Of course, the President, like any other Somali citizen, retains the right to defend his reputation.  We, however, call on the leaders to put the national interest ahead of personality profiles.

Granted, this conference opened important contact lines for the future. But a failure to address a continual problem that should have been the biggest issue means there was a failure on the part of the President and other leaders.

While leaders smiled and shook hands, Somalis cannot afford to be fooled now to think things will run smoothly. What is needed now is a show of commitment that elections can be held before year-end and that there will be sufficient political will towards that.

Otherwise, Phase II of the Dhusamareb may end up creating false hope for Somalis.

GAROWE ONLINE