Dear Community leaders, media, respected guests, ladies and gentlemen good afternoon all of you. To begin with, let me thank each and every one of you for having spared the time to be here today. It is an honour to me and to the Somali people to present this plan which I am sure will offer best solution to our problem by bringing an ever lasting peace and stability to our home country Somalia.
My name is Hussein Abdullahi Abdi. I was born and grew up in Belethawo District, Somalia. I graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture Somali National University in June 1990 obtaining Bachelor Degree and from the faculty of Agriculture Makerere University in January 1998 obtaining MSc. Degree. Currently I live in Saint Paul, Minnesota USA. From 1984 - 1990 I worked at Central Agricultural Research Station in Afgoi as research officer. In the past 6 years I have been working for Emerge Community Development in Minnesota as Employment counsellor to help refugees resettle and reintegrate in US and be part of this great nation. Dear ladies and gentlemen, I am here today to present my action plan so that the Somali people and international community understand well the type of government that I am bringing in when I win the upcoming Somali presidential election due in August 20th 2012.
As you all know, Somalia has been in civil war for over two decades and as a result, millions of the Somali population were forced to seek asylum on the African continent and beyond. During this period over 1 million people were either killed or starved to death. Currently, close to one million people are living in recognized internally displaced camps or with relatives in different parts of the country. We all remember that last year millions of Somali people were uprooted from their homes by drought where 100 thousand people are estimated to have died for starvation and similar problem is now feared to unfold again in Somalia. The fact is that people were killed or starved to death by former warlords, Alshabab, Transitional Federal Governments and local groups who were supposed to aid our people.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have all witnessed all types of civil war with different banners in which the worst one became the current one bearing religion. We became a threat to our own live and existence as well as peace and stability in the region. The current and past Transitional Federal Somali Governments failed to pacify their administration beyond presidential palace until recently when AMISOM crushed Alshabab clearing them from entire Mogadishu, Elasha Biyaha, Afgoi and Bal’ad districts because of being incapable and corrupt administration. They involved all sorts of corruption and embezzlement to enrich themselves when our people were dying in hunger.
Therefore after haven seen all these problems and how we are lacking credible leadership with vision. After haven seen some of those contesting for the Somali Presidency have so far been implicated corruption cases while others are not able to be same page with main stream to better understand their needs and concerns, I decided to stand up for this noble cause and save my people and my country with the following action plan:
1. Creation of special border protection force
2. Creation of local councils headed by a chairman, secretary of women and secretary of defense & youth affairs elected by every 100 families/residents
3. Creation of a joint security committee that works with their counterparts in neighboring countries
4. Restructuring and fostering political and economical cooperation between our communities along border lines
5. Working towards greater Eastern African regional integration
6. Consolidating areas liberated from Alshabab by AMISOM and Somali forces
7. Reviving all government institutions with main emphasis on security, education, health, food production and technology
8. Reconstruction of major infrastructures
9. Returning internally displaced people into their homes & resettling those with no homes
10. Repatriating all Somali refugees in the neighboring countries back to Somalia in conjunction with United Nations and hosting countries
11. Open doors and create new initiative for foreign investment increasing our economic growth and exporting power
12. Fight against partiality, unfairness, injustice and corruption at all levels
13. Deny access and safe haven to all security threat individuals/groups or armed opposition fighting against any legitimate African State.
14. Set up special security clearance for all incoming and outgoing travelers and notify our partners ahead of time
To implement this plan, it will require every location liberated by AMISOM and Somali forces to go through three different phases such as;
(a)Phase I: Creation & Revival
In this phase, I will build residents into blocks of 100 families governed by a Chairman, Secretary of women and secretary of defense and youth affairs. This local administration will register all residents and their personal data will be shared with other government organs. It allows government to identify those who are security threat to Somalis and our neighboring countries. Such small blocks will report to district council headed by similar members and they too will report to another 3 councils that govern the entire region or province. Likewise all regions will report to a senior national level which serves as central command led by an executive director and two secretaries, one for women and the other for defense and youth affairs assisted by 18 deputies where each one is responsible for one region of Somalia’s 18 regions that existed before Jan. 1991. My government will be a decentralized administration that gives more power to the people at the village level. All local councils in the district will work like an assembly who will decide what is good for their people. They will elect candidates in the primary election before general election similar to Minnesota district caucuses. It will empower women, youth and minority groups suppressed by dominant groups. It allows national resources and revenues to be shares fairly by the local administration, district, region and central government. It builds new form of democracy where officials contest for seats in a healthy environment. This phase starts to form and revive statehood structure from local communities who are feeling that they are belonging together, sharing together mutual interest, trusting and protecting each other. This phase will take 120 days to make it functional and successful.
(b) Phase II: Stabilization & Extension
In phase II, local administration must extend olive branch to all armed militias in order to disarm, demobilize and re-integrate them back into the society after they go through series of process in which government screens, brainwashes and trains them. With the help of international community, Somalia has to create economic opportunities and vocational training centers where people can benefit and turn around themselves. With the help of international donors it is also important to form Micro Finance Projects that support like farming and fishing so that this can play a significant role in economic growth and prevent people to return into armed conflicts. The second phase will continue another 120 days.
(c) Completion & Continuation.
After phase I&II are complete, government controlled areas will go into another stage where they all transit from civil war to peace and economic growth. Government will act decisively in promoting peace and economic development. My administration will focus on liberalizing private sectors for quick recovery. This enables people to interact, heal civil war wounds and scars, taking themselves back to pre-civil war economic and social life. This step lowers unemployment and prevents people to return into civil war. On the part of Somali Government’s mandate will be to implement good governance, protect civil liberties and equal justice for all. It will also encourage foreign investment in the areas of fishing, agriculture, mining, oil and natural gas drilling. This phase has no time frame and government will continue playing its role in rebuilding all institutions, infrastructure and economic growth.
Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen, to rebuild our nation, I will work hand in hand with my people and international community. As president of Somalia, I will restore peace and stability in Somalia within first two years. I will reopen all public schools and Somali National University. To improve our infrastructure, trade and economic cooperation with our neighbours I will start building highway 18 that connects Belethawo to Mogadishu; highway 17 from Liboi to Kismayo. I will rehabilitate and expand all other major roads in Somalia. I will expand and modernize our ports to accommodate transiting goods. I will build new international airport. I will dig 18 water reservoirs in drought prone areas. I will create jobs for jobless people in Somalia. I will start especial programs to support minorities and mothers who lost their husbands and sons in the civil war. Dear community members and media let me assure the international community and Somali people that my government will be more transparent where people are all equal and resources will be distributed fairly.