The Prospects of Democracy in Puntland: A Case for Optimism and Conditions of Success

[Deeq A.]

• Yahye Bisle

On this occasion, as we commemorate the 22^nd anniversary of founding Puntland State of Somalia, it confluences with a huge milestone for the progress toward democracy in Puntland as the Transitional Puntland Electoral Commision (TPEC) announced yesterday the ten official political associations which will participate in the planned local government elections.

This is truly historic moment because the people of Puntland were vying to move away from clan based system into a multiparty democratic one since the founding of Puntland. Although, the successive administrations of Puntland since 1998 have made meaningful contributions to this process, none had given the green light to democratization earlier in their term than this one. In that regard, President Said Deni and his administration deserve recognition and praise.

Apart from the political will demonstrated by the current administration, the completion of this democratic journey requires overcoming fundamental challenges including meager financial capacity and poor public awareness. Puntland parliament recently in its 46^th session delayed ratifying and approval of members of Puntland Constitutional Court. This could be a hindrance, as the court is the highest judicial body entitled to adjudicate any disputes which may arise through the implementation of the system.

The Transitional Puntland Electoral Commission TPEC has the profound mandate to manage and conduct local government elections (LGE) and it has done an extraordinary work on the first phases of this process. As promising the efforts of TPEC are, we cannot ignore the tough political and social context it is operating in. In this journey through an unfamiliar path, this commission is supposed to deliver to the people of Puntland as the commission itself relies heavily on the support of international donors and the performance of weak governmental institutions.

We the people of Puntland, should work hard to ensure the unequivocal success of this process for in its success lays an opportunity for us to elect our local councilors and later our representatives for the first time in 22 years. The deliberations of this process however messy and complicated, will at least ensure that our elected officials be accountable through the ballot and be responsive to the needs of their constituencies.

As optimistic we may be about the prospects of this system in widening the political field and empowering the citizens, we should not consider it as a quick fix to the major societal, political and economic problems facing Puntland.  To bring about real change, it will require much more effort in the creation of a new vision for Puntland; undertaking serious institutional reform and deploying true leadership in the management of public life at each level. However, this system will most certainly facilitate such changes far better and at a faster rate than the current clan based system.

The involvement of the public is of paramount importance to the actualization of this multiparty democratic system in Puntland. Although voter turnout and public interest in politics is decreasing even among the populations of established democracies in the western world, we cannot afford apathy this early in the process because the public should be the unstoppable force behind this transformation.

However, if the people of Puntland fail to be engaged and show supreme indifference to this monumental opportunity, the political space will always be open only to the same politicians who have failed us for more than two decades; the ones whose political positions are dictated solely by their personal interest and greed.

Youth are the majority of the population and they have a critical role in this process.  For now, all political associations are claiming to be the special one for youth, this is a clear indication that the time for youth has come and they no longer belong in the passenger seat.

There is the unfortunate possibility that youth may end up as a conduit through which career politicians reach out to the communities they so long ignored in an effort to secure elections and hold on to power.

However, I hope that youth will become torchbearers of change and progress through vigilance, community activism and cooperation among them. I hope that youth will see far beyond their individual interests and the constraints of clan allegiances.  I look forward to the day in which youth in Puntland and Somalia as a whole lead the charge in this new frontier and become the change they seek in their communities.

One worrying aspect at this early stage in the process is the lack of sufficient representation of women in the rank and files of the political associations. This may exacerbate the already poor participation of women in politics in Puntland. It will be unfortunate if this initial course translates into practical reality in the later stages of the democratization process. 

 As women are the backbone of the society, their involvement in the management of public affairs is crucial. Therefore, serious efforts of awareness and advocacy should be implemented to ensure that women are participants in this process not merely in symbolic terms but in substantive measures.

The effective engagement of civil society and the media is very essential throughout this process. This should be done from an independent and objective position to ensure the legitimacy and transparency of the process. 

When we assess the progress being made so far, it becomes evident that this will either be a failed attempt to realize democracy in Puntland which leads to despair and inescapable return to the old system; or hopefully this will be a dream come true and a real transformation of the political landscape in Puntland.

I definitely hope for the later, but we ought to know that it cannot and will not be achieved through naive optimism and wishful thinking but rather through strong political will, huge efforts and the wholesome cooperation of the People of Puntland.

Written by: Yahye Bisle

yaxyebisle8@gmail.com

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