Amb Awil urges Opposition politicians since they gave president Silanyo full decision mandate
By: Mahmoud Qodah Somalilandsun- Former Minister of Finance Ambassador Hussein Ali Du’ale (Awil) in an interview with Geeska Afrika, a local newspaper, he called for opposition parties to accept president Silanyo’s recent decision on separating the Presidential election from the Parliamentary ballot, as they already gave the confidence vote to the President and vowed to accept his decision in their last political agreement.
Ambassador Awil warned that the issue related on regional seats allocation structure in the House of Representatives is sensitive issue that may lead some regions to boycott in the forthcoming elections, and that this issue’s equitable representation impasse will go back to since 1960, as such more time will be needed for discussing it imperturbably in order to reach a final consensus on the issue.
“Every community takes steps forward and develop whenever there is a confidence among them; vice versa, things become the opposite, when their democratically elected leader can’t take decisions that favour for his people’s good interest, and becomes a leader who is dictated by foreign states,” said Former Somalia Ambassador to Kenya.
Former Finance Minister also noted that British Colony allocated 33 seats for Somaliland in 1960, as Italy allocated Somalia for 47 seats, and as such that it was unfortunate and a historic mistake for Somaliland, unlike Somalia, not to increase the number of the seats to 100 when granted recognition by UK. Somalia after gained its independence from Italy, it had increased from 47 to 90 parliamentary seats.
“Equitable allocation of Parliamentary seats is the responsibility of the three national political parties (KULMIYE, UCID and WADANI), haplessly they didn’t get the courage to reach a consensus on the issue. They agreed to return it back to President Silanyo, and in their agreement, they vowed that they will accept any outcome or call made by the President, as such they shouldn’t go against their own words and accept president’s decision”
Mr. Awil in his interview, he has warned the repeating of 2005 parliamentary election formula in 2017 elections. He said, “Without doubt, some regions won’t be out and partake in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, if the current parliamentary election law is used. Boycotting elections by some regions would definitely damage Somaliland’s existence and unity.”
“We have to keep in mind that Somaliland has a president, whose people have democratically elected, and it is for him to decide everything which is the good interest of his people, and he shouldn’t accept anything dictated by a donor or by powerful government that may become otherwise.”
In his eventual remark, he urged for the people to avoid anything that may damage their unity and side-by-side harmonious livings.
Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo last week, in a presidential decree issued by his spokesman, decided to split the presidential and parliamentary elections after political parties (KULMIYE, UCID and WADANI) failed to reach an agreement on the seat allocation impasse.
President justifying his separation call, he pointed out that currently the election of Parliament is not technically feasible, as such the impasse of seat allocation may lead to the failure of both Presidential and Parliamentary elections. He thus suggested Parliamentary election to be delayed, so as to facilitate necessary seats allocation review, as he assured that Presidential election remains as scheduled on the 28th March 2017.
Mahmoud Qodah
mahqodax@gmail.com
