December 7, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Ex Supreme court chief: Electoral commission ignores PM decisions
07 December – Source: Shabelle News – 159 Words
Ex Somalia’s supreme court Chief Aidid Abdullahi Ilkahanaf, has revealed that the country’s electoral commission has ignored the decisions by the caretaker prime minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke. Somali PM has recently ordered election of Lower House MPs representing Somaliland to be moved from former police transport HQ to Halane compound, the biggest military base for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Despite PM’s calls to move the venue to Halane, the lower house election for the clans hailing from Somaliland is underway in the station, a clear sign that the election commission has rejected the order. Prof Abdi Isma’il Samatar, political analyst based in USA described the ongoing parliamentary election in Somalia as “Selection” which serves the interest for the power hungry politicians vying for president. Somalia is currently voting for parliament, and heading to a much-delayed presidential election due to take place in mid December, 2016. Pundits doubt the possibility of the election as the deadline nears.
Key Headlines
- Ex Supreme court chief: Electoral commission ignores PM decisions (Shabelle News)
- President Hassan Sheikh Asks Newly Elected MPs In Jubbaland To Back His Re-election Bid (Jowhar.com)
- At Least 6 Dead 10 Injured In Buurhakaba Explosion (Shabelle News)
- President Hassan Visits Military Barracks In Kismayo For Integration Purpose (Goobjoog News)
- Puntland To Show Off Qandala Operations Successes (Puntlandi.com)
- South West Concludes Elections For The House Of The People (AMISOM)
- How To Fight Corruption In Somalia (wardheer News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
President Hassan Sheikh Asks Newly Elected MPs In Jubbaland To Back His Re-election Bid
07 December – Source: Jowhar.com – 202 Words
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has asked the newly elected MPs from Jubbaland to vote for him in the upcoming presidential elections in the country. Speaking to the media after a meeting with them, President Hassan expressed optimism that he will win the race again.“Since I’m a presidential candidate, I asked the MPs for their vote in the forthcoming elections so as to allow me complete my unfinished tasks,” he told local reporters in Kismayo. President Hassan presented his political program to the MPs promising that if re-elected, he will put a lot of effort in security improvement.“Security is my main priority if I’m re-elected.
My new administration will bolster security to the point where public vehicles that leave Kismayo will be able to arrive in Mogadishu peacefully,” he noted. Reacting to the president’s remarks, critics expressed little hope in the new pledges by the president accusing him of doing little to strengthen the country’s fragile security. They said the biggest and deadliest Al-Shabaab attacks took place during his tenure in office. Attacks against presidential palace, the parliament building, Banadir court complex and ministries were among many Al-Shabaab assaults carried out by Al-Shabaab during President Hassan’s four years in office.
At Least 6 Dead, 10 Injured In Buurhakaba Explosion
06 December – Source: Shabelle News – 122 Words
At least six people were killed and 10 others injured in a remote-controlled land mine explosion in Buurhakaba district in Bay region of southern Somalia on Monday, witnesses said. The blast, which has rocked the city took place at a police checkpoint near a vegetable market, killing at least six people, and wounding 10 others, mostly civilians, according to police officers. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but local authorities said they believed Al shabaab was responsible for the bomb explosion which left six people dead in Buurhakaba town. Al shabaab has intensified its attacks in the country, targeting security forces and government officials as the East African country is holding a parliamentary election and heading to presidential polls.
President Hassan Visits Military Barracks In Kismayo For Integration Purpose
07 December – Source: Goobjoog News – 143 Words
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and a delegation of military generals have visited military barracks in Kismayo for the sole purpose of Somali National Army integration programme that would likely result Jubaland forces to be nationalized. President Mohamud led delegation has also toured army barracks outside the city, which are also front line defenses against Alshabab attacks. “our first priority is to integrate the army and build strong national army, this training and the pledge you made today has sealed your place in the national army, remember you are not tribal militia, you are the sons of this nation” said the president. Under the army integration process, Jubbaland would contribute some 3000 soldiers, as well as Puntland and other regional states, and these would be incorporated into the already existing National Army which is mainly based in the federal government controlled areas.
Puntland To Show Off Qandala Operations Successes
06 December – Source: Puntlandi.com – 97 Words
The Puntland government has organised a media trip to areas near ancient port city of Qandala following its triumph over ISIS allied militia in the area. The journalists are supposed to cover Puntland military successes against the ISIS militias that captured the coastal town of Qandala a month ago. Reporters are gathering in port city of Bosaso on their way to the frontline. Puntland forces have surrounded the town and expected to enter the town this morning. Puntland forces have killed 33 ISIS fighters and seized other military gear during an offensive aimed to liberate the town.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
South West Concludes Elections For The House Of The People
05 December – Source: AMISOM – 641 Words
South West State of Somalia has completed elections for the House of the People becoming the second federal state after Jubbaland. The last day saw the reelection of two former members of parliament Hassan Maalim Hussein and Hussein Mohamud Sheikh who won their respective seats bringing the number of those elected to the House of the People to 69. Speaking after the conclusion of the process, State Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (SIEIT) Chairman, Mohamed Abdullahi Mursal, commended all persons who made the exercise in South West State successful. “This was a very long journey; we have successfully concluded the elections for South West today, ending with the last seat of 69. We were very confident in the manner in which this election occurred since it was the first election of this type to happen in Somalia,” Mr. Mursal said.
South West State elections involved all the five major clans of Somalia, making it the federal state with the highest number of seats allocated in the next federal parliament. The United Nations and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have been at the forefront in ensuring that the electoral process in the federal state is successful. “I thank the United Nations, AMISOM and all the partners who offered their unrelenting support during the electoral process,” Mr. Mursal added. In his victory speech, MP-elect Sheikh, the current Minister of Constitutional Affairs, thanked his Dabarre subclan for re-electing him. “I thank the electorates from my Dabarre subclan who have unanimously voted for me. I am also happy that it is the fifth time I am representing my community in the House of the People. My community has given me another chance to represent them for another four years until 2020,” the MP-elect observed.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“People’s indifference to corruption forges a close relationship between rent-seeking business people and politicians. This unholy alliance results in an unbreakable cycle of poverty and instability.”
How To Fight Corruption In Somalia
07 December – Source: Wardheernews – 619 Words
Corruption from which a large number of Somali political leaders benefit has made Somalia the most corrupted country in 2015. Since the country has a government barely comparable institutionally to other countries’ governments in the Corruption Perception Index, it is hard for Somalis to agree on combating corruption but it is not impossible to work out strategies to fight it. Post-1990 politics have barricaded Somalis in clan fiefdoms. The upside to this trend is that certain parts of Somalia have managed to respond to challenges thrown up by the collapse of the state and the centrally planned economy. Businesses and educational institutions have flourished in those areas. The downside, which if left to fester can undo this progress, is the influence of corrupted politicians whose immediate families and hangers-on misappropriate resources acquired either through tax revenues or development aid.
As there is no political agreement on discouraging theft of public resources, self-enrichment through corruption takes precedence over sharing of meager public resources equitably, planning to respond to recurrent droughts, river floods and other emergencies. People’s indifference to corruption forges a close relationship between rent-seeking business people and politicians. This unholy alliance results in an unbreakable cycle of poverty and instability. There is a consensus that corruption, rather than religious extremism, is the bane in Somalia’s political landscape. This consensus undermines the international community’s engagement with Somalia based on the rationale to help Somalia to fight transnational terrorism exemplified by Al-Shabaab and ISIS.
TOP TWEETS
@MOALIMUU: Commemorating 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence in Somalia organized by@US2SOMALIA is now taking place in #Mogadishu
@SomaliaDeputyPM: The election for MPs from Northern Somalia starts, proud to be competing for the first seat; another step forward for Somalia.
@ICRC_Africa: In #Somalia, we train volunteers in #Choleraprevention. These volunteers then train their fellow community members. http://ow.ly/SLlZ306T7cT
@alihwarsame: One bright side of #Somali politics is every individual is talking about CHANGE in #Somalia; change of old guard & that’s the sole solace.
@HarunMaruf: Puntland officials say their special forces conducted an attack on pro-IS fighters in Madlaxo overnight, deny involvement of foreign force.
@AhmadAlhaadi: Somali National consultative forum to meet today in Mogadishu. #Doorashada2016
@Vatescorp: #Somalia: IC and Somali leaders to convene National Leadership Forum today to discuss election obstacleshttp://ow.ly/XWEC306T0fV
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Somali Police forces complete specialized training in Djibouti
Photo: Radio Muqdisho