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Political parties should not be allowed to usurp national institutions Written originally in Somali by Haatuf Staff Nasir Adan Mohammad (Nawa)
June 20, 2015 - Written by Admin Two

During the dispute about the term extension that the Upper House granted the current government on May 11th, doctor Somaliland’s political parties were claiming national prerogatives that were not theirs. They often behaved as if their status was higher than that of national institutions such as the Upper House. They talked as if whatever they agreed upon would automatically be legally valid and the country has no choice but to accept it. Whereas the fact of the matter is that political parties are institutions that exist at a particular periods and can disappear when the voters decide not to vote for them as happened to UDUB party which was the governing party at one time but now does not exist.

This is not the first time that the political parties usher the country into a political crisis either. For although political parties have been operating for 15 years since Somaliland restored its independence, view   there is plenty of evidence that they have not yet learned how to function properly. The immaturity of the political parties was not only evident in their actions which led to the crisis, it was also seen in how they arbitrarily and without any consultations with other stakeholders decided that the elections would be held on December 2016 and only invited the Upper House after they had reached the agreement.

This dangerous incompetence makes it necessary for Somalilanders to re-examine and reform the laws and regulations pertaining to political parties in order to get better performance from them.

No doubt the Upper House was hasty and mistaken in extending the government’s term for 22 months. It did not consult widely with the various stakeholder, and its decision favored the government. But there is also no doubt that the Upper House acted within its constitutionally mandated duties. Furthermore, the Upper House is the highest legislative authority in the country, and among its tasks is to get the country out of crises like the one that was precipitated by the political parties, something that it has done more than once, so there is a clear need for its services and those who are calling for disbanding the Upper House are simply wrong.

Written originally in Somali by Haatuf Staff Nasir Adan Mohammad (Nawa).

 

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