Hiiraan Online

Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali

The result is the best the people of Puntland could have hoped for and the one that serves their purpose well. Farole, as an incumbent seeking his second term, campaigned throughout the election process as the inevitable winner. He taunted Abdiweli Gaas, belittled him and even claimed he sent him to Somalia to carry out his first public service post as the Prime Minister under Sheikh Sharif. This was in keeping with his aggressive, divisive, confrontational and non negotiable leadership style which has made him unelectable in the eyes of the wider Somali regions and extremely unpopular with his own electorate. Farole in his speeches gives the impression that he, his family and cronies were Puntland but it is arguably this ill guided arrogance, his inability to see beyond his palace gates and his refusal to employ a diplomatic open door stance with the Federal government in his campaigning that finally sank him and his enormous ego. Speaking to friends in Garoowe it is said that very few tears are been shed and that the people of Puntland are looking forward to a new beginning and a better future without Farole and his two unelected sons who were running the Presidential palace and their entourage which have sought to dominate every aspect of public and private life.

Abdiweli Gaas ‘s response to Farole’s barrage of election insults pertaining to his ability and experience were met with dignified ignorance and a focus on pressing policy issues he wanted to address if elected. He did make an earlier error for which he apologised sincerely when he branded Puntland a pretty woman who repeatedly weds alcoholic partners which clearly was a reference to the incumbent Farole. However, he quickly regained momentum and promised free primary education for all children and developing and strengthening a tax system which can generate the revenue required to bring his policy ambitions into fruition. All these noble aims, although some seem farfetched in the absence of a strong transparent revenue collection mechanism, are a good starting point from which to build on. Abdiweli Gaas may not be able to achieve these goals even in his first term but the fact that he was not using divisive, foul and undermining direct attack campaigning tactics like Farole, illustrates the potential for hope required to make any development goal work and an understanding of the challenges ahead for the electorate.

This election was among the most crucial in both Puntland and the Somali republic’s recent history as partnership between the two is fundamental to overcoming the constitutional confusion surrounding regionalism and resource sharing. Under Farole, Puntland had become difficult to negotiate with and engage for the Federal government in Mogadishu. Had he won this election Puntland could have been heading for a head on collision with Hassan Sheikhs administration over the key issues which require agreement and clarifications to resuscitate public confidence, national unity and the economy such as resource sharing, contract granting to multinational companies and  the very role of regional governments in a federal system. Under Abdiweli Gaas the hope is that as a former Prime Minister who himself was exposed to the challenges in his past role of reconciling the Somali people and regions, working with an ambiguous constitution and dealing with competing tribal  interests, he may be more co-operative, open minded and welcoming of dialogue and action on all these fronts. Critics may not have forgotten that Gaas, as Prime Minister, claimed in the past one of his biggest political achievements was the roadmap that produced the current weak, ambiguous and much disputed constitution which could send the country back to civil war over tribal land ownership.

Mogadishu certainly would have breathed a sigh of relief with Gaas’s victory over Farole as with continuing weak institutions, challenged leadership, poor financial management and a track record of remaining Mogadishu centred like all the administrations before them, they need as many friends as they can find in all the regions of Somalia. This is why Hassan Sheikh and other key Parliamentarians are heaping congratulatory messages on Abdiweli.

The importance of the Puntland elections in the wider context of Somalia was highlighted by the presence of Nicholas Kay the UN envoy to Somalia who in his speech named the nations and international organisations like the European Union which sent representatives to the vote count showering further importance on it. Whether they supported Abdiweli Gaas or not is unknown but given the fact that they are tasked with working towards a Somali wide solution and promoting a unified stable Somalia, it probably prompted quiet smiles and burst of deep felt joy when the glaring obstacle to Puntland’s progress was voted out by parliamentarians that were allegedly bribed handsomely to stand by him beforehand. If this was true, it further signifies how much Parliamentarians felt the need for change in what could only have been called Faroleland before this election.

The international community is more important to Somalia today than any other time. Somalia under the new government led by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been brought in from the cold by the international community. It is tasked with uniting the Somali people whilst at the same time strengthening federalism and finalising a binding national constitution. These tasks so far have proven herculean for a Mogadishu camped government protected by AMISOM troops with waning support in the regions like Puntland. Abdiweli Gaas, as a former Prime Minister, offers the Somali Federal government an opportunity for a new beginning which they should grab with both hands. Unlike Farole who was quick to divide and gather tribal support and momentum behind his causes with no care for his public image globally, Gaas seems to be a man with a future who understands that if he plays his cards right he could have a second more successful shot at the Presidency in the future. This is leverage Hassan Sheikh Mohamud should not underestimate or ignore when engaging with Puntland in the future. For both men it is a gold opportunity to build bridges, amend alliances and push forward in the Somali national interest.

Abdiweli Gaas has a long, difficult journey ahead of him with regards to tackling Puntlands pressing local issues such as the economic collapse after the November 2012 tropical storms and tsunami which killed an estimated 300 people and took with it many small towns and villages to sea. He has to work towards tribal equity and harmony which Farole ignored and encouraged in many instances locally as well as carefully manage the issue of the disputed Sool and Sanaag regions with the breakaway internationally unrecognised Somaliland government which offered a warning after his election through a senior institutional figure (Hersi) to respect territories which it claims belong to it.

Abdiweli Gaas is the 4th elected President of Puntland but he has arrived at an opportune time when he can have an enormous impact on the future of his nation. Gaas is naturally not a born orator or obvious leader in the wider Somali sense which awards leadership points for the loudest voices even if they carry empty divisive words. Gaas, according to the UN Monitoring Group report, was criticised for endemic corruption alongside his then boss Prime Minister Farmaajo which they both vehemently denied but the stain and accusations are still alive in Somali minds. He has much to prove this time round as he is one of the luckiest and rare Somali politicians to get a second chance. Despite these claims of corruption he has shown himself to be diligent, intelligent and a unifying figure in his past role as Prime Minister. If he can inspire hope, mobilise his electorate towards reconciliation and tribal understanding as well as deliver on his campaign promises of cooperating with the Federal Government for a better joint future, he will prove himself to be more than just a regional figure.