In mid-2013, a group of ex-fighters, failed politicians and members who have come from a Diaspora that did not accept them, formed what they then called the “Rectification and Salvation Council”. The organization, right from the start, made it clear that the only law, the only constitution, the only republic and the only public order they respected was that which lay within their hearts – unarticulated, unwritten.
The Council, which later changed its name to Madasha – meaning, roughly, the consultation venue – was everything but a constructive caucus.
It also became very apparent that the Somaliland Madasha was nothing but a chamber of the National Salvation Council of Mogadishu.
The people which came together in this unconstitutional, illegal body made it point to tell the world that in Somaliland:
- There was no peace and stability
- No Development
- No Law and order
- No judiciary system
- No government structure
- No law officers, police force: Regular, RRU, SPU, OPU..
- No army
- No Guurti – the senate chamber of the Parliament
- No fair elections
- No Electoral Commission
- No Somalilander (except Madasha)
The public, ashamed for them, did not wish, however, to alienate them altogether. By so doing, the first mistake to transform itself to a folly that is now a palpable threat to the whole nation, was set.
Somaliland, wishing to humor them, added placating prefixes to their names which the recipients literally adopted and took to heart – mistakenly of course: Mujahid (veteran fighter), aqoonyahan (the learned), Siyaasi (the politician) and so on and so forth.
The government made the second mistake and allowed them to grow and become bolder and more brazen time after time until they broke all fetters of decency, nationalism, moral upstanding and logical reasoning.
Today, they have succeeded to illegitimize the two political parties by pulling them into their illegal bench and dictating to them who to do, what to say, and how to politically behave.
They have, in fact, become a body that goes to all lengths to show the world, the public and the impressionable generations that there was no constitution, no law and order, and that nobody was worth anything if he did not tow their failed philosophies.
The Madasha preaches anarchy, lawlessness, ethnic strife, violent demonstrations and riots to overthrow a legitimately elected government and call for civic dissidence of magnitude that would surely plunge back Somaliland to the 90s, and into an abyss that is much more scary than that in which Mogadishu is struggling to emerge from. There, the parent Somalia Salvation Council in Mogadishu has a point. The Madasha does not.
There are questions and answers that need to be reviewed before we arrive at further judgments. The questions that one can put to the Madasha members can all be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Samples:
- Are you more educated than members of the incumbent government?
- Are you the only politicians around? Freedom fighters? Intellectuals? Patriots?
- Are you more politically adept?
- Are you more experienced in leadership?
- Are you more honest?
- Do you have cleaner records?
- Have you a better track record: political, moral, intellectual, patriotic, admin, etc. etc.?
- Are you more credible than members of the incumbent government?
- Haven’t you all failed in your former government assignments?
- Are you being paid for what you are doing?
- By il legitimizing the constitutional national political parties, haven’t you shown Somaliland what you really think of them?
- Do you truly believe in a ‘One Somaliland’?
- Isn’t your vision one trained only on the highest office and a Somaliland that is tethered to the Capital alone?
- Do you truly all believe in Islamic teachings, and follow the Sunna and obligations of Islam?
- Do you believe in democracy and the right of citizens to elect who they wish to office through the polling exercise?
- Are you more of statesmen than the present roster in the leadership: executive, legislative, Judicial?
- Are you the only Somalilanders around?
To any Somalilander, answers to the questions above suffice.
By Amran Aideed
Freelance journalist,
Hargeisa
