“If politics is the ‘art of the possible’, campaigning is the science and art of changing what is possible”
For the last seventeen years Somaliland has done multiple elections, which is big step towards political development of young nation within dangerous zone, a prove that Somaliland can make a sustainable political improvement for the coming years, Presidential debates starting for the first time in history of Horn of Africa, it’s difficult to make such an events for most of African nations, because of security or the candidates can’t phase to one another: showing your community what a leader is capable of is sort of attracting the opponents voters to define the policies towards national development. It’s an important political power to explain party objectives and giving chance electorates to exercise choosing who governs them.
Through new dimensions of campaigning can also make huge difference then another African nations, Somalilanders are fed up for politicians talking about development during the campaigning, after it ends there are few changes or no improvement at all, So how can civil society believe the politicians? We need actions, a tangible steps which everyone gets the benefit, during this process there are budgets which most of them are expended in meaningless harmful ways, taken cars, shouting in the streets, which result from damages to the civil societies. Instead of taking good actions such as empowering community collaboration, helping the poor people that have been affected by droughts and those who live in Inter-displaced areas by providing for food. Did political parties has poverty declining policies? If the answer is yes then we are waiting for their policies and how they are going to work, by performing to the community some part of their policies.
Having three political part is great chance among them by making right what other parts do wrong since politics is a good way and has one mission which is to build a productive nation. Managing the little funds we have from side to side a productive projects would be good for both three political parties and civilians, it is also an opportunity to gain the confidence of the community, most of the people misunderstand the meaning of the campaigning which is communication the voters, understanding their needs, engaging them to take part the possible solutions, and inspiring to the future that they can get under the leader that they choose.
Whoever wins is Somalilanders and we need a Social, Political, Economic and Environmental development with equality working justice system, a government can’t give everyone what he/she wants but it can give us something that can make every one satisfaction which is justice among the people. All three political parties UCID, WADANI and Kulmiye the civilians are waiting for great transformation, since it is the age of renovating from tripe system to age of citizenship and knowledge, Somaliland has been done building a nation without international community support, Indeed this phase of internal peacemaking process is what makes Somaliland peace and stable.
In Somaliland transforming from tribble system to democratic- from democracy to- communist state, and then finally going back to tribe system in post 1991, the society does really understand their culture before the formation of governmental system and social life when they were in the urban areas which were acceptable to the tribble management, thus the question is can tribe system work in modern urbanized Somali-land??Clan-based system of government isn’t popular only in this community but it’s an African traditional management style, leadership in Africa before the colonization were acceptable to the local communities, in the meantime the traditional community leaders use to be member of the society in every situation, not a politician who only knows his/her political benefits as most of the African political figures do.
At this stage necessity understanding of education and both young and elderly intellectuals to work together on how to take this step, it will need time to make people to an understanding that Somaliland is in a crossroad, coming from tradition system to the modern democratic system acceptable to our religion and culture.
In this election, Somalilanders require having a clear idea about the improvement of health, how to get a quality education? Policies towards national productions of the consumer goods such as the production of rice, wheat, oils and whole agricultural growth, environmental protection, minimizing the corruption strategies.
In conclusion to focus on the needs of the community and how to improve that necessities are vital for all Somalilanders.
Nasra Dahir Mohamed