NOVIB (The Netherlands)
PRESS RELEASE
February 23, 2004
Posted to the web February 24, 2004
Khalif Hassan Ahmed Information and Documentation Officer
Nairobi
Somali delegates in a plenary convened in Mbagathi, Monday 23rd February, 2004 endorsed the amendments of Somali leaders harmonized position on the Transitional Charter in acclamation. The occasion was attended by the Kenyan Deputy Foreign Minister, Hon. Mosses Wetangula, members of IGAD facilitation Committee from Kenyan and Djibouti and the International Partners Forum.
The Somali delegates in Mbagathi adopted the Transitional Federal Charter on September 15 last year but were contested by others. The opposition to the adopted version and the Mbagathi group of leaders was converged in a consultative meeting held in Nairobi launched by the Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his Kenyan counter-part Mwai Kibaki. After an intensive shuttle by the Kenyan Foreign Minister, members of the IGAD Facilitation Committee and the IPF, the Somali leaders agreed on harmonized position on their areas of difference in the charter adopted by the Mbagathi group. The notable amendments agreed by Leaders were:
·The size of the Transitional National Assembly was reduced to 275 up from 351 members. The previous size was seen by the donor community as not economical.
·The selection of the Parliament will be undertaken by sub-sub-sub clan Somali political leaders invited to the consultative meetings in Nairobi as from 9th January, 2004, comprising: Transitional National Government (TNG); National Salvation Council (NSC); Regional Administrations; Somalia Restoration and Reconciliation Council (SRRC); Group 8 (G8) Political Alliance and Civil Society and must be endorsed by genuine traditional leaders.
·The term of the transitional federal parliament was moved from four to five (5) years.
·The article on criteria of the Member of Parliament which in the adopted version of Sept. 15, 2003 was to be secondary school education level or equivalent suffered deletion.
· After members of the Mbagathi group of leaders expressed misgivings on the Safari Park Declaration, the plenary that was meant to endorse the amendments was halted by the confusion. The TNA endorsed the charter and was finally given endorsement decree by the TNG President Abdikassim Salat Hassan. Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka, the ministry officials, IGAD Facilitation Committee and members of the IPF maintained intensive consultations to finalize the plenary endorsement. The Minister finally released clarification statement on the contentious article of parliamentary selection. According to the clarification, "the actual process of selection of members of parliament would be undertaken at the sub-clan level by the recognized political leaders comprising the Transitional National Government (TNG), the National salvation Council (NSC), Regional Administration, the Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC), the Group of Eight (G8) Political Alliance and the Civil Society (CSO) and endorsed by genuine traditional leaders". The sentence "Leaders invited to the consultative meetings in Nairobi from 9th January 2004," is omitted from the clarification statement. The sub-sub-sub clan was also replaced with sub-clan level.
A group of six political leaders from Mbagathi group left for Somalia in what was seen by many as opposition to the Safari Park Declaration. The group including Mohamed Dhere (Jowhar Administration), Shekh Adan Madobe (RRA/SRRC), Abdullahi Shiekh Ismail (BIREM/SRRC), Mohamud Sayyid (SNF-Gedo/SRRC) and others expressed their opposition to the plenary and maintained that 24 + 1 leaders are acceptable to them. According to the reports from SRRC leadership the stalemate was sorted and the leaders through their representative assured to participate in the planned plenary for endorsement.
The Chairman of the conference, Amb. Kiplagat read the Safari-Park Declaration and the Ministers clarification statement for the necessary plenary endorsement. Hon. Mosses Wetangula spoke to the Somali delegates and leaders reminding that acclamation is the most democratic way but was greeted with dissenting voices. The Minister pleaded with the delegates for calm and informed that it is obvious to have dissenting voices but the way out is first to invest more on listening and then asked for an orderly opportunity to comment.
The recently appointed Mbagathi leaders committee was given the platform to speak to the delegates. The leaders who included Dr. Sharif Salah (civil society), Hassan Abshir (TNG) and Hussein Aidid (SRRC) and Moulid Ma'ane (G8) requested for calm and noted it was time for the plenary to endorse the leaders harmonized position. The leaders asked for restraint and the national interest to put above individual gains for prevailing their sacrifice in the duration of the conference. Aidid acknowledged, the leaders who were in the Safari Park had conflicting positions and the evident shuttle by the Kenyan Foreign Minister, IGAD Facilitation committee and the international partners' forum narrowed down into the current harmonized position. " If the leaders who were divided came up with the compromise position and a division is also observable within you (delegates) how can we come up with a governmental of national unity", he concluded. The leaders informed the plenary that it is the majority that matters and deserves to be respected.
The speakers who commented were weary of the selection process and two from the TNG wondered who the TNG on article 30 were. Col. Abdullahi Yussuf Ahmed (Puntland) and Salad Ali Jelle (Jowhar) agreed that the selection of the parliament has to be confined to those leaders signatory to the Eldoret Declaration on Cessation of Hostilities and the TNG President Abdikassim Salat Hassan.
One respondent, Omar Shiekh (TNG) raised the question of the parliamentary criteria which was deleted in the leaders' amendments. He decried the necessity of such criteria for qualified parliamentarians able to undertake the task ahead. Col. Abdullahi Yussuf clarified that leaders are elected by their area population and not by IGAD or any other outside party. In his view of the parliamentary selection, he asked for more clarification but warned if such darkness prevails there will be no breakthrough on the selection process. He said, it is unfair to undertake selection with leaders who were formed in the peace process. The Puntland Leader finally asked for participation of all IGAD member States to avoid opposition to the emergent structure from Peace Conference.
In response to the statements made by the leaders, the chairman of G8 political Alliance, Mohamed Qanyare Afrah disagreed the notion of confining the leaders to 25 and argued that politics is a collective effort. " What were observable in the discussions are fears of risking parliamentary slot and if that is the case let us give the responsibility to the traditional leaders who were selection authority in Djibouti process that lacked our blessing", Qanyare asserted. The women could also be other potential component to carry-out the selection process.
Amb. Kiplagat clarified the points raised by the speakers and said we are going to try and bring every country into this process however, he commented that we cannot be taken hostage by any of the regional countries. The Kenyan Ambassador to Somalia made an emotional speech reminding the delegates the questionable integrity of Somalia and its people and the need to make a historic commitment to safe the population. He said your endorsement today would be turning point in the history of the whole country. The delegate and leaders except Abdullahi Yussuf and few others stood up for endorsement.
Hon. Mosses Wetangula shared with the delegates the difficulties of creating institutions for country engulfed by civil war but challenged that the bigger picture of Somalia and its people deserves focus. He asked the delegates to adopt spirit of give and take with the view that everybody having a value and importance. The Ministers acknowledged that peace in Somalia is also peace in the region. "Lets have in mind that the peace we are looking for will be sustained and maintained by you with openness and nationalistic appeal to give Somalia the missing token of statehood," he said. The Minister finally announced that on behalf of IGAD Ministerial Facilitation Committee the plenary is coming to an end and we move to the third phase.