Somali Political Leaders are Egocentric Who Use One Another, but Have no Interest for the Country
OPINION PIECE
The next trick of the Dam Jadeed oligarchy is to eradicate the new alliance of the lawmakers who brought their government down to its knees.
In the aftermath of the revocation of the cabinet ministry, the Prime Minister, Omar Sharmarke is appointing another lineup of ministers. The question that merits an answer is how the PM would formulate cabinet ministers that the parliament approves with an overwhelming vote of confidence. How many ministers will retain or lose their positions?
Sharmarke hesitated to seek his government to garner an approval from the members of the parliament, but instead he dissolved it. His final attempt, the Prime Minister requested the legislators to give him some time to from new cabinet ministers. The members of the parliament granted him 14 day-period to get the nomination done.
Before Sharmake retracted his cabinet, members of the parliament were splintered into two opposing camps: legislators who were for and against the large cabinet ministers and the return of ex-ministers who were allegedly allied to the president.
Let me get to the point here now. Two days after the revocation of the government, the alliance that was unified under the umbrella of Somali Forum for Unity and Democracy shook Dam Jadeed coalition. Some rumors say that the Dam Jadeed oligarchy is attempting to play its last card well this time round and plotting a ruse to form another line of ministers that will gain approval from most of the parliamentarians.
Some sources close to that group say that the upcoming cabinet ministers would not be different from the one that was dissolved that much last week. How can they get the parliament to approve it then? What is going on in Mogadishu? What is the course Dam Jadeed going to take to form a cabinet that Sharmarke and parliament rubber stamp without rejection?
Every one of us is aware of how this new alliance brought the demise of the new government in which Dam Jaded had exerted so much effort, energy and time. My main argument here will predict the composition in which Sharmarke will form a new government.
Many political analysts contend that the Somali politics that has been mired in confusion for years is now slipping into more obscurity and uncertainty. For the last two days, a series of meetings, political horse-trading and strong lobbying are underway in Mogadishu. The most active members of Dam Jadeed are planning to disintegrate the two camps that united under one alliance to oust Sharmarke’s new cabinet. The major reason why Dam Jadeed is changing its tactics is to consolidate more power and mobilize the country’s politics and economy within itself.
Another source says that Dam Jadeed is attempting to silence some of the vociferous critics within its rival alliance by appointing them to hold key portfolios in the upcoming ministers.
One conflicting source also states some key members of the alliance say that they were not opposed to neither Sharmake nor Dam Jadeed, but they wanted him to form a lean government. This shrewd move shows us the alliance is shaky, and is on the brink of fragmentation. One may understand that this alliance will stop breathing when its members are appointed in the coming line-up of ministers.
Another independent source says that Dam Jaded has already relinquished its hope and attempt to encourage its main oligarchs to return to the political limelight. In order to change tactics and breathe life into its vanishing coalition, it will appoint new individuals so that they win the hearts and minds of the legislatures.
No matter how we hypothesize such predictions, the two groups are pregnant with subterfuge and change of tactics. We shall see how this showdown ends and who wins.
Abdallah Moallim Mahamud
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