“An Ideal Which I Hope To Live For and To Achieve, But, If Needs Be, an Ideal for Which I Am Prepared To Die” Nelson Mandela
By: Ahmed Kheyre
Somaliland sun – The three Somaliland political parties competing for the 2017 presidential and parliamentary elections have selected their candidates.
At a recent central committee, the governing party Kulmiye selected former military officer, SNM stalwart and head of Kulmiye party, Muse Bihi Abdi.
Meanwhile, Wadani party are expected to hold their central committee meeting in the near future, in which, the Speaker of Parliament and its chair, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi “Irro” will anointed as the presumptive presidential candidate.
However, the most intriguing candidates are UCID’s Jamal Ali Hussein & Abdirashid Hassan Matan. Political neophytes in the Somaliland scene, both have played a key role in non-governmental organisations such as Somaliland Forum and other philanthropic causes. Both men represent the next generation of Somaliland leaders, who it would appear its time has come.
Somaliland is at a crossroads. The nations has taken a democratic path which matures with each passing day, but, there remain the old fashioned political activities based on patronage, community affiliations and other backward back-room political dealings. Enough!
It is time for Somaliland to turn another leaf and elect a younger and dynamic generation. Political leadership requires, boldness, strength, vigour, ambition and vision. And with all due respect to Mujahid Muse Bihi and Speaker Iirro, neither is blessed with an abundance of these attributes. We thank them for their service and salute their contribution to the cause of Somaliland, but the nation needs a real change, hope and vision.
Presidential political fortunes are defined by simple messages, and in today’s modern technological world, it has never been truer.
A political future can change due a simple thing such as a turn of phrase or a speech. From John F. Kennedy’s “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You, But What You Can Do For Your Country” to the 1979 British Conservative Party’s campaign slogan “Labour Is Not Working” and perhaps most famously, that of Nelson Mandela speech from the dock ” An Ideal Which I Hope To Live For And To Achieve, But, If Needs Be, An Ideal For Which I Am Prepared To Die”
What all these speeches have in common is their boldness, confidence, vision and courage. Political destinies are made of such things. Leadership to lead the nation, the vision to express the path needed, the courage to see thorough the good and bad times, the strength to carry out the plans and above the ability to communicate to the nation, the aspirations, the challenges and sacrifice required.
To that we can add Jamal Ali Hussein’s recent response to a question from a youth panel, captured in this video;
Somaliland needs a new paradigm. Somaliland needs a new dynamic generation in order to move on and progress.
Allaa Mahad Leh
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