The new model of democracy has developed for Somalilanders and they are introducing it to the world. It is more sophisticated, fair, free, and transparent. The process of selection or nominations goes in three stages. The process of the selection approach is a bottom-up procedure. First stage is crucial, the panel members that are selecting the candidate are elders of the tribe. The head of the panel is the chief of the tribe, and each subtribe has forwarded its own individual candidate, that is, where main severe challenge starts, and tribe loyalty runs deep.
The tribes are not able to appoint more than 2 or maybe 1 candidate, depending on the number of their voters. Winning the seat, depends on what way the tribes organized its people. If the tribe failed to manage its own candidates, there is more of a chance that the tribe would be unsuccessful in nominating a candidate or to win a seat in the house of representative or a consulate or the mayor in the city.
The election bitterness along with the tribal candidates as well as the subtribes candidates’ resentment towards each other starts in the first stage. The tribal society understood and recognized the differences between enmity and adversary. The rural or nomadic person knows the competition and if he lost, he would accept it, the problem is those who live in the urban, if they lost, they would never forget.
The second stage is a party selection, the party is looking for the best-organized candidate, at the same time the one that has the backing and is persuading his/ her tribe to vote in order to win the seat. When the tribe submitted to its candidate, the tribe elders asked the party to designate their candidate list. At the same time, the elder tribes would promise to vote for its candidate in order to secure his/her seat. The second stage is not critical, but this stage creates bewilderment amongst the tribes. Most of the time, the candidate who failed to get the nomination from his/her tribe, would lead to allegations of election fraud.
The third stage is the final phase, the true and official election date. It Is the day every tribal selected candidate faces the last elections; it is day three Somaliland party’s cast a vote/ballot. It is the real democratic voting system. It is a one-person, one vote, no matter who you are, what tribe you belong too, and what colour you are. The last stage election has performed by the nationally recognized election commission. After the elections are conducted, the national election commission would be announcing the winners of the election. Most of the democratic nations have been exercising the last stage, which is one person, one vote election.
Somaliland has the most expensive democratic election in the world. Every stage of election has its own cost, time and exert. Each candidate has spent thousands of dollars, along with effort, and time, for those three stages. Even though this kind of election procedures is often called backwards or an uncivilized election by many people, it is one of the purest democratic election.
Democracy is combined of two Greek words, demo “people” and Cracy “rule” which means that the people have the power to select their governing representative or implemented direct democracy which, means direct voting to any policy onward from that moment. Even before European colony arrived, Somaliland people had elected their leaders. Somaliland have practised democracy for a long time, the concept and brand name of democracy is one of the types of government that originated from the ancient Greeks. The Greeks capital that implemented and practiced democracy was Athens, the period was between 500 to 508 BC or CE as most scholars have stated. The Greeks had tribes, the main tribes were Aeolians, Lonians and Dorians. Along with democracy, Greek tribes were practiced as a monarchy, aristocracy, and autocracy. Democracy was the form of government that people used to rule one another.
The first person introduced the phrase of tribal democracy was the famous leader of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, at the same time, scholars also use this term “Tribal Model of Democracy”.
The Somaliland tribes as well as other Somali tribes approached two procedures for appointment for head of the tribe, the first one is inherited and second is elected. In general, Somalis have always culturally practiced democracy.
In conclusion, the purpose of these short remarks is to shed the light on how Somaliland’s government, the Somaliland population and each one of us are delighted to approve tribalism. Somaliland people go through milestones to legitimize tribalism in every inch of our lives. Somaliland requires real democracy to be put into practice, which is allowing individuals their right. Each one of Somaliland citizens have their own lives, liberty, and property. Every Somalilander has self-possession and must have pledged their allegiance to the country, not to the tribe. By Emboldening a refusal to vote for tribal intent, the Somaliland youth will have an advantage in carrying out full autonomy for themselves.
Osman Awad
waaba2003@yahoo.ca
