January 17, 2005
Abdulkadir Khalif
Mogadishu
There was a sigh of relief in Somalia when legislators gave Prime Minister Prof Ali Mohammed Ghedi and his ministers a mandate to run the affairs of the country.
The Cabinet won a motion of no confidence, garnering 168 votes, against 78. The win was seen as an endorsement of the government and now the onus is on the Cabinet to take the next obvious step, which is relocation to Somalia. "We do not expect any excuses from the executive to the effect that the legislature is unco-operative," said a Mogadishu resident. "The government is now bound to come to Mogadishu," he added.
The scenario was however different a few weeks ago. Some newly appointed Somali ministers, their deputies and a number of legislators left the transitional federal parliament on December 11 with bloody noses following a fist fight during a session in which the lawmakers were to endorse or reject the government recently formed by Prof Ghedi.
Parliament had convened at the Kenya Communication and Technology College at Mbagathi in Nairobi and the MPs reportedly pressed ahead with a motion to reject the new Cabinet. Angry ministers and their deputies tried to stop the voting by calling the move unlawful, saying that they had not been given a chance to explain and defend the government's stand. The fact that Prime Minister Ghedi was absent raised suspicions as to who was behind the motion.
According to media reports, Sharif Hassan Sheik Adan, Speaker of parliament, authorised the voting after several MPs spoke strongly against the government.
When the ministers objected strongly, a fight ensued. The voting mode was then changed from secret ballot to a show of hands but still 153 MPs out of 210 reportedly voted for the motion and against the government.
Some local radios in Somalia reported the parliamentary proceedings live from Nairobi. the confidence hall of the Kenya Communication Technology College at Mbagathi.
The cries of ministers being beaten and angry voices of MPs attacking them were highly amusing to some listeners.
Both sides were quick to give their views to the Somali press, blowing the differences out of proportion. The issue naturally generated heated debate in Somalia, especially in Mogadishu.
Those on the MPs side stressed that the prime minister broke several constitutional requisites. That he was mandated to form a government by November 4 which he did not. That his government was too big for a poor country like Somalia - 42 ministers, 42 deputies and seven state ministers.
Critics say there should not be more than 30 ministerial positions.
The MPs were also infuriated by some of the appointees, who were apparently already using their offices to strike deals with their counterparts in other countries before the Cabinet received parliamentary endorsement.
The foreign minister designate in Ethiopia and the commerce portfolio holder in the United Arab Emirates were among those who received wide publicity to the MPs' annoyance. Some citizens were, however, impressed by the parliamentarians, saying that they were merely doing what is expected of them and that is checking and censuring what they called 'faction leaders turned MPs.'
However, there are those who think the MPs were too harsh, since teething problems were expected after 14 years of no government. Still others see mischief in the MPs action and accuse them of using delaying tactics.
"They want to remain in the comfort of four star hotels or extend their stay in Nairobi to finalise pending businesses," said a government supporter.
The MPs action has polarised citizens, especially in some regional towns. Loudspeakers were reportedly used in parts of Bardhere town and Beled-Weyne district while others went round in vehicles, announcing, "The ministers have lost parliament's confidence."
Female activists have complained that out of the 89 appointees only two are women, and these are in the "soft" Ministry of Women's Affairs and Family Welfare. An activist in Mogadishu said, "Appointing a woman deputy minister under another woman minister is an indication that male ministers and deputy ministers are offended by having to work with women. It is funny that a man working under a woman minister is still culturally unacceptable."
Citizens who consider themselves neutral viewed the incident as mere power games by politicians. "It is just a shift from chauvinistic street fighting to parliamentary skirmishes," one woman said. "It is a system dominated by people accustomed to renegade fighters with no orders in urban alleys and not real leaders who can observe parliamentary by-laws," she added.
Despite the violence by MPs, Somalis now see light at the end of the tunnel. It is widely believed that parliament is shedding the unpopular reputation of being a rubber-stamp for government decisions.
During General Mohamed Siad Barre's dictatorial regime, parliament was officially known as Golaha Shacabka, meaning the people's assembly. It was, however, nicknamed Golaha Sacabka meaning "the assembly for applauding." Democratisation is a long and painful process, but Somalia is inching forward in the right direction.
The appointment of Prof Ghedi as prime minister and his endorsement on December 23 was a good step. "We did not harbour any grudge towards the premier for personal, clan or ideological reasons," one lawmaker said at the end of the session at Mbagathi. "Our acceptance or rejection will always be based on a balanced look at the programmes presented," he added.
This could be a signal of the beginning of separation of powers.
Email: khalifos@hotmail.com