electorial platform : gen abdullahi jama ahme

*Summary*
It is, unfortunately, a matter of public knowledge that our Somali State of
Puntland is in a deplorable state: its unity is shattered; its economy is in
shambles; its territory is violated and partly occupied; its resources are
squandered; its crimes are rising; kidnappings and piracy have combined to
put it in the international headlines; and its people have been left to fend
for themselves when it comes to safety and security. The list of its ills is
in fact endless.

At the root of Puntland's morbidity is of course the total lack of good
governance. It is indeed a sad commentary on the educated sons and daughters
of its soil that Puntland has deteriorated to a situation bordering on
anarchy. Granted that the structures of governance are there, they
nevertheless lack substance and resources: there is a constitution, but no
constitutionalism; there are courts, but no judicial independence; there is
a legislature, but it is subordinated to the executive; and of course there
are ministries, departments and other institutions, but they are poorly
staffed and poorly financed. There is no accountability and the public
coffer is often ransacked with impunity.

Puntland's dire situation cries out for radical change and that change
should come sooner rather than later if the State is to be saved, as it
must. However, the way to save it is not by maintaining a simulacra of
institutions in which administration is personalized. Nor can Puntland be
salvaged by concentrating all powers in one man – or woman for that matter –
who sits at the apex of a pyramidal structure. Responsibility should be
collective within a system whereby power is truly shared and exercised in a
manner that is transparent and subject to public scrutiny. With this in view
and for the purpose of transforming Puntland into a peaceful, creative and
economically dynamic state acting within the framework of a united,
sovereign and federal Somali Republic I offer the following platform as a
candidate for President of Puntland State:

*Democratic Governance*

There is widespread agreement that democratic governance – or good
governance – is crucial to development. After the collapse of our national
state we have come to appreciate that Government plays its development role
best when it facilitates the pursuit of economic opportunities. Our lesson
of experience teaches us that government itself becomes an insurmountable
obstacle to economic development through expansion, overregulation and
over-legislation. My Administration will be guided by the Jeffersonian
principle that: "That government is best that governs least".
Rights and freedoms will be exercised freely within the bounds of the Law
and as guaranteed by the Constitution. There will be constitutionalism and
therefore separation of powers.

Public administration can be an effective instrument of governance if it is
competent, responsive and responsible. Otherwise, it can cause the collapse
of the whole system. My Administration will create a qualified and competent
(i.e. professional) civil service which is balanced and imbued with the
values of transparency, probity and a sense of serving the public.
Professionalism and discipline are deeply ingrained in our Islamic faith.
The Prophet (SCWS) has told us: " If a servant of Allah undertakes a job, He
will be pleased with him if he does it properly', and Ali Bin Abi Talib has
also told us: " The value of a person lies in what he does best". We know
that in Islam honest performance in one's work is a form of God's worship.
My Administration will do its utmost to reflect these Islamic values. For
its honesty, hard work and observance of these values the civil service will
be so adequately rewarded as to enable it rise above corruption.
It is an integral element of my program that the Legislative Assembly should
be enlarged and directly elected by the people so that it will be truly
representative. I am aware that this will require a constitutional amendment
which will have to be obtained through the proper legal channels and
ratified, if required, by a public referendum.

There will be genuine devolution to Puntland's sub-regional divisions and
local government councils as a means of diffusing power and carrying
democracy to the grass-roots level. Training of the necessary officers and
staff for these bodies will be vigorously undertaken in order to ensure
their technical competence and promote their awareness of being the
servants, not masters, of the public. Council members will have the power to
appoint, pay and discipline the staff. But since the councilors are elected
such appointments and discipline will be subject to appeal so that local
civil servants will not be victimized for political reasons.

Experience has taught us that politics can make nonsense of economics. God
willing, I will do my very best to establish a healthy policy so that we can
advance economically.

*Public Safety and Security*

The primary responsibility of any government is the provision of safety and
security to its people. My Administration will ensure that the forces of law
and order are properly trained, properly equipped, properly disciplined and
adequately paid. Such forces will provide internal security so that the
people in Puntland will live in peace and harmony. But they will also
protect the boundaries of Puntland in order to ensure that they always
remain in tact. At present, 'Somaliland' (our neighbor to the west) occupies
parts of our Sool region and I am well aware of the situation, both human
and military. It is part and parcel of my program to have these parts
returned to Puntland shortly after taking office.

Additionally, the forces of law and order will be required to protect both
our territorial waters and our economic zone. But they will also fight
piracy and ensure that the trend of kidnapping our foreign guests and
collaborators will cease forthwith.

However, the operations of the forces of law and order will be circumscribed
by the need to protect the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the
constitution. I am guided in this respect by the most famous former
president of the United States (Abraham Lincoln) who said: " There is no
liberty without security but if you sacrifice the former for the latter you
will end up with neither." I am all too conscious that our Somali State
collapsed when liberty was sacrificed for security.

*Consolidation of Unity*

As everybody knows Puntland is not a breakaway region. It is therefore
incumbent upon us to maintain our national unity. But the internal unity of
Puntland itself is also important and needs to be salvaged and consolidated.
The need for this has been made glaringly obvious when Las Anod was forcibly
occupied and the other parts of Puntland failed to mobilize and come to its
rescue. My government will consolidate Puntland's unity by promoting the
economic integration of its sub-divisions, by encouraging the movement of
people, goods and services from one part to another and by ensuring economic
complementarities.

*Economic Development*

Economic development will be crippled, and disjointed if the physical
infrastructure barely exists and is in a terrible state of dilapidation as
it is now. A network of roads, airports and seaports must serve our
sub-regions, cities, towns and villages. Means of communication such as
Internet connectivity, telephone and postal services will need to be
improved. All these are vital to facilitating economic activities and will
feature prominently in my Administration's program of work.

The exploitation of our God-given resources must be and will be given pride
of place in the effort to transform the economy of Puntland. We have mineral
and petroleum deposits; we have thermal and solar energy and we can turn the
wind that blows hard in many of our areas as a source of energy; we have
marine resources in plenty; given our long coast line we can improve salt
production and turn salters into entrepreneurs; we have meerschaum which
small entrepreneurs used to export to Arusha (Tanzania) before the implosion
for the manufacture of high-quality smoking pipes; we can establish that
small industry in our own State since we have the raw material; finally, we
are rich when it comes to live stock. Ours is not an agricultural State but
there are areas within it that are presently under cultivation or have the
potential of being improved for agriculture.

With today's technological know-how deserts can be – and have been – made to
bloom. Water is most essential to life, for without it there can be no life.
Here lies a great challenge to all of us since many of our areas are arid
and we have neither lakes nor rivers. But, we have a long coast and, given
the resources and technology, there is the potential for desalinization. We
should also develop the capacity to tap underground water.

Land use policy in our State – if there was one –has been catastrophic. Our
people have accelerated the desertification process by sacrificing our flora
for the production and export of charcoal thus clearing the way for such
agents of soil erosion as the wind, floods and overgrazing to finish the job
of turning our territory fast into a veritable desert. My Administration
will develop a land use policy that will delineate separate areas for
agriculture, grazing, forestry and human settlement. It will endeavor to
find coal deposits, not only as an answer to charcoal production but
possibly also as a means of finding the cheapest but environmentally
friendly methods of the electrification so necessary for improving the
quality of life.
The human resource is undoubtedly the transmuter of all natural resources.
But, to bring that resource to a level where it can transmute the other
material but finite resources into usable form a vigorous and accelerated
program of education and training will be undertaken so that we will acquire
both technical and technological know-how as well as executive capacity.

My Administration will ensure the complementarity of the public and private
sectors with the former playing a facilitative role without abandoning its
regulatory functions. It will encourage the private sector to establish
light industries.

Instead of sending our livestock to the Arab countries on the hoof we should
be able to establish meat- processing factories and send the carcass to our
traditional trading partners. We should similarly be able to establish
tanneries and leather industries instead of sending our camels to Egypt on
the hoof and then buying expensive leather goods from it at prices which
cancel out what should otherwise contribute to a favorable balance of
payments. Factories for the canning of fish, lobster, shrimps and other
marine resources can also be established.

All these will generate employment to the numerous but idle youth who are
forced by dire straits to resort to crime or desperately throw themselves
into the sea by means of dingy dhows in an attempt to reach the Yemeni side
of the Gulf of Aden. Furthermore, the private sector will grow and prosper
and the economy as a whole will thrive. The revenue base of the government
will improve and given the capacity to tap new sources of revenue and
improved revenue collection methods it might be possible to engage in labor
intensive public projects such as the construction of roads, bridges and
airports – projects that will create more employment opportunities and give
a further boost to the economy.

*Health and Sanitation*

The private sector has been making monumental efforts in setting up and
running health centers. The government has never proved equal to its
responsibilities in this area. My Administration will work with the private
sector, with WHO and with UNICEF towards the eradication of endemic diseases
such as TB and Malaria as well as fighting the pandemic HIV and AIDS
scourge. The government will expand its activities in this vital area in
keeping with the augmentation of resources both human and material. Due
emphasis will be given at all times to the health of mother and child.

*Mobilization of Resources*

Owing to the paucity of domestic resources my Administration will deploy
considerable efforts to mobilizing resources from external sources in order
to build the necessary capacities for undertaking a rigorous economic
resuscitation program. I am in no delusion about the fact that the flow of
such resources will depend on our proven absorptive capacity (a function of
executive capacity), on the transparency of our processes and on our
demonstrated accountability. There is much goodwill in the world, and I
believe we will get all the help we need if we show through our work and our
honesty that we are worthy partners. Bilateral as well as multilateral
donors will take pride in seeing concrete and palpable testimonies of their
humanity and goodwill. They will be proud of themselves if they see concrete
and ocular evidence of how their money has been put to good use. Yes, it is
money that begets more money, but good work also begets more money.

*External Relations*

As I said before, we are part and parcel of the federal structure of our
country. My Administration will contribute in any way it can to TFG's
efforts towards national reconciliation, restoration of peace and the
restoration of national unity. I am well aware, however, that in a federal
structure the constituent parts (of which the federal government is one) are
coordinate, and therefore the states are not subordinate to the federal
government. Their respective responsibilities are a matter for the
constitution and judicial interpretation. My Administration will go out of
its way to cooperate with the federal government without compromising the
constitutional rights of Puntland to enjoy full autonomy.

Being keenly aware that we Somalis are brothers and sisters to each other
and being aware of kinship relationships with our neighboring states the
policy of my Administration towards the States contiguous with Puntland –
including 'Somaliland' – will be peaceful coexistence, interstate trade,
interstate cooperation, free and unhindered movements of people, goods and
services and the maintenance of good neighborliness.

*Conclusion*

As the famous saying goes, 'Rome was not built in a day', and it would be
impossible to achieve everything in this platform in my first term or even
by the end of a second term. But, as the Chinese say, ' A journey of a
thousand miles begins with on step', and I am prepared to take a giant step
knowing full well that I should at least pave the ground for my successors
so that they will also register their achievements. After all, development
is the cumulative result of the efforts of succeeding generations. The
Qur'an enjoins us to cooperate in all that is good and so we cannot achieve
anything if we are not together in moving Puntland forward.
Having thus laid down my platform I wish to be given a chance to serve and
to show what we can together do so that at the end of it all we can be proud
of ourselves.



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