Is this a pariament or a bidding auction...

[galbeedi]

A divided Parliament may look like a sign of plural democracy or divided electorate after contested election. Well, the Somali federal parliament is neither a sign of politico maturity nor a democracy in action.

 

If we carefully examine their latest maneuver to oust the prime minister, rather than democratic Pickering for supremacy, it could be classified as an Auction, where the highest bidder gets the price. Here are the reasons:

 

1- For the last two years , they didn't debate or introduce any legislative bill or motion to advance or to improve the laws of the land. This is the typical Somali parliament every where. In Hargeisa, from 1997 to 2005, they did not pass one single bill other than the one renewing the presidential powers. even those who were elected didn't debate or pass any meaningful motions. For ten years they passed few legislative bills, after they have been forced by the ruling party or to gain some money from the international community. They may talk about the illegality of the thing the government is doing , but they are not capable of passing any thing to stop or amend. Further more lately in Hargeisa, MPs were told by the government not to attend the parliament , so the motion to approve the election commission members may pass. They stayed away.

 

2- Before any motion is introduced in the parliament , it must be debated first by constitutional committees in the parliament and latter debated by the whole parliament. Bring the motion and clearly state the reason to drop the prime minister. In these cases, they usually meet in specific hotels and sign the petition of the impeachment without out the debate. After they reach the desired numbers of MPs , they declare their intensions.

 

3- While some may try to impeach for principle, while others are angry for the performance of the government, large number of them are bribed clearly. This President had set up the infrastructure for money laundering and corruption long time ago. He will not steal directly from the bank or the treasury. It is not a secret that he receives cash directly from the gulf. Western donor money is hard to steal. They follow a financial management protocols to save guard the money and deposit to the national bank.

 

4- The international community will not accept anymore this auction called Parliament to be used other than it' solemn duties. There are moves to stop this practice. Damjadiid thinks that they can fool people all the time. Believe me it is easy to find the traces of these bribes without great efforts. The United Nations representative wouldn't easily announce these allegations without a fact. He is not the monitoring or other outsiders who must justify their existence. Mr. Kay lives in Mogadishu and he is running the system. He knows. They can't have their impeachment auctions every single year.

 

4- These motions do not come from the parliament . They are given to them by Damjadiid. The problem of this secret society called Damjadiid is already affecting the management of the government. They must be purged from the cabinet. Same thing goes in Hargeisa. The government invites them to the house of the vice president , counts how many it needs to do their dirty job and divides the cash. Next morning sixty of them will sign the petition. Kulmiye party doesn't even have 45 members in the parliament . There is no party loyalty or principle or the respect of those who elected them. It is an auction for the highest bidder.

 

Finally , if this folly goes on unchecked it will embolden the corrupt leaders to master this. This power hungry leaders must be forced to kiss and make as the children they are. No more auctions. If the international community want to be part of these corruption, then , there is no hope. Since you pay their salaries, force them to work together, or push both of them from the office.

 

They must decide whether this is the people house of parliament or an auction house. It is time.