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SOMALIA: ESTABLISHING THE FEDERAL SYSTEM AND MOVING THE CAPITAL CITY, MOGADISHU.

The draft constitution issued by the Independent Federal Commission on July30, 2010 is flawed but the Commission run advertisements through different Media outlets to promote and condition the Somalia people. The draft raises many questions without answers and it is contentious and controversial and it is the product of Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, the Speaker and former Prime Minister Omer Abdirashid who had a hidden agenda in order to entrench themselves in power and establish a permanent government in Somalia for personal interests.  The odd outcome of all this is politicization of the constitution. For instance, it recognizes the 18 regions formed by Siad Barre that, can’t be bases to create regional states in order to establish a federal system of government in the country. In my view, Somalia can have confederation of North-South or in order to establish a federal system a merger of the 8 regions of pre-Siad Barre era to form the bases for the federal system in order to deal with imbalances created and as well as problems of size and number of regional states and/or their borders. Therefore, I propose the following 5 (five regional states) : 1. regional Somaliland ( north-west and Togdheer), 2. regional state of Banadir (i.e., Mogadishu, Middle Shabelle and Lower Shabelle), 3. regional state of Jubba (i.e., Bay, Bakool and Gedo (Upper Jubba) ), and Lower Jubba (i.e., Middle Jubba and Lower Jubba), 4. regional state of Puntland (i.e., Mudug, Central, Bari and Nugal) and 5. regional state of Hiran. Thus, the merger of the 8 regions is the best solution respecting the pre-independence borders of the country and at the same time reducing the number of regional states to a manageable level but at the same time promoting their capacity to discharge the functions and responsibilities of regional states as required.

Another controversial issue in the draft is Art. 8. The national capital city, Mogadishu and its status in the federal structure. Mogadishu was under represented in the civilian government with only two parliamentary seats while  many cities with smaller populations had more than 5 seats each etc.  Thus, the arguments contained in the new draft constitution is unacceptable because the commissions wants to kill two birds with one stone. First, it ignores the existance of Banadir Region that dates back to the civilian governmnt and to the Siad Barre’s era where the region has seen demographic changes and grew to sixteen (16 districts) districts to accommodate the population explosion. Second, Mogadishu was the Capital City of Somalia and without problems. However, the disputation of the commissioners that, the Capital, Mogadishu should not be part of a regional or have a limited political power for fear of dominance of certain people is to suggest that the people living in the sixteen districts should not representation at the local level, at the regional level and or at the federal level.  I believe, Ottawa is the Capital City, Canada and it is located in the Province of Ontario and therefore, we suggest that the Capital City, Mogadishu to be part of Regional State of Banadir because no one in his/her right mind will accept to treat Banadir Region differently than other regions or Mogadishu than any other cities in the country. Thus, if Somalis agree that the Capital City to remain in Mogadishu, the Federal Government will be responsible only to its institutions in the Capital City, Mogadishu. How, about moving the Capital City to another city in the country?  I am sure that, the people living in Banadir Region or living in the City of Mogadishu would prefer moving the Capital to another city rather than accepting loosing their democratic participation of the poliical affairs of the country.

Nevetheless, Somali people have suffered over the past twenty (20 years) and faced human rights violations of unprecedented proportion that resulted in bloodletting, death and mayhem of innocent civilians,  rampant looting of cities, destruction of public and private properties and all Somali State organs while forcing millions of Somalis to flee their homes and live in squalid refugee camps and million others who are displaced in their own country and living in abject poverty after loosing everything. It is time  to put the past behind us and stop depending on international players  to resolve Somalia’s problems. Of course,  sorry to say that there are no international efforts to strongly support to bring those responsible for corruption, human rights’s violations and war crimes in Somalia to bring them to justice.  I believe that there can’t be a lasting peace in Somalia without accountability and we urge the international community to do something about it.

Finally, Somalia needs fresh new faces, untainted by corruption, the civil war, religious wars and human rights’s violations and believe strongly a secular, democratic and sovereign Somalia. Thus, Somalia needs people who can change and work with the International Community and only this way we can reform the government, the legislature, the judiciary in the next administration.

Dr. Abdi Mohamed Uluuso,

drabdi2000@yahoo.com

Faafin: SomaliTalk.com // Halkudheg:

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1 Jawaab " SOMALIA: ESTABLISHING THE FEDERAL SYSTEM AND MOVING THE CAPITAL CITY, MOGADISHU. "

  1. Dagan says:

    Culusoow waa aabihii Corruptionka. Si aad ah ayaana loola socdaaa halkii uu mariyey hantidii Bangiga waagii Cabdiqaasim oo uu madaxda ka ahaa.

    Sidaas awgeed, why Soomali walbo asigoo tiisoo muuqato tu kale alle u daba dhigay?!

    Culusoow danta dalkaan iyo dadkiisa kala irdheysan waxaa xal u ah Federal. Haddii adiga ay ku dhibeyso , meel la fadhiiso iskana sabir. Maanta dowlada jirto waxay ku shaqeysaa Federal. Dowladaas sidii la doonaba halagu soo dhisee waxay matashaa Dadyowga Soomalida ee ku nool dalka Soomaaliya.

    Marka, Dadkaan aad daba dhigatay (Ina Sharmarka iyo Shariif Xasan) waxay rabaan waa federal. Hadday federal rabaana micnaheeda ma noqonayo in ay u ololeynayaan madaxtinimo ay waligood sii heystaan, taasoo abid aysan ka dhici doonin Soomaaliya hada iyo wixii ka dambeeya..