Puntland… Between Hope and History
It was lovely October when I arrived in Puntland, there are huge changes in the Port city, Bosaso , People are listening each other, discussing the fourth election in Puntland, most of them, they are demanding political and economically changes to happen in Puntland.
The last time I departed from Bosaso was the same time but four years back. This time Bossaso was different, early after Fajr prayer bars are full , people are heading to where they can get their daily life, Bosaso seaport is full , commerce cargos and fishing boats are parked nicely, citizens are exporting Franchises and livestock are on their way to depart to the gulf countries, beautiful sheep , goats and long neck creature, Camel, are the most expensive livestock on earth, after 11 AM, people are sitting again at bars ordering a cup of tea to full their energy , after long day of hard working, minutes letter you will hear beautiful sounds coming the nearest mosque, that sounds touches the heart of the people and peacefully they are entering the Mosques from every deep ravine, you can smell the perfumes at the windows when sheikhs and religious men are entering The Masjid, wearing very conservative clothes , this situation you will feel that you are highly in peace when sheikhs smiles and gave to you Salm.
It was lovely October when I arrived in Puntland, there are huge changes in the Port city, Bosaso , People are listening each other, discussing the fourth election in Puntland, most of them, they are demanding political and economically changes to happen in Puntland.
The last time I departed from Bosaso was the same time but four years back. This time Bossaso was different, early after Fajr prayer bars are full , people are heading to where they can get their daily life, Bosaso seaport is full , commerce cargos and fishing boats are parked nicely, citizens are exporting Franchises and livestock are on their way to depart to the gulf countries, beautiful sheep , goats and long neck creature, Camel, are the most expensive livestock on earth, after 11 AM, people are sitting again at bars ordering a cup of tea to full their energy , after long day of hard working, minutes letter you will hear beautiful sounds coming the nearest mosque, that sounds touches the heart of the people and peacefully they are entering the Mosques from every deep ravine, you can smell the perfumes at the windows when sheikhs and religious men are entering The Masjid, wearing very conservative clothes , this situation you will feel that you are highly in peace when sheikhs smiles and gave to you Salm.
On the other hand, in the afternoon, from side to side there are beautiful young women wearing multi-colored skirts, teens are very busy with the latest matches in the football arena and gentlemen are also busy with the latest political news.
However, the city of Bosaso refers as New York in Puntland, Bosaso has more than half-million inhabitants, the states revenue depends its income, Bosaso shown a little bit development since the JPLG project announces, roads and town planning are the main works that the Bosaso municipality are busy on.
Since the fire damaged almost one third of Bosaso main market, businesses had affected livelihoods of many people behind the economic vibrancy of the commercial city of Puntland, a city that benefited from diversity of people with skills from different parts of Somalia.
I have been reading opinions, talking to the locals and asking how the fire started, replaying without delay There is no city planning.
Bosaso’s development process may have been fluctuating, administrations come and go without touchable changes and several problems are referencing Bosaso city council, which includes, poor urban planning, bad governance and financial mismanagement.
Can Puntland Make History?
Puntland people are between hope and history and I never doubted that one day Puntland will make history, decade ago Puntland was called the inaccessible, and after fifteen years letter Puntland made history, the genuine traditional tribe leaders gather together to announce first sub-autonomous state in Somalia, which called Puntland State of Somalia, now Puntland has its own constitution, legislature and very active political system.
subsequent the eruption of the civil war in Somalia, many problems arose with regard to access to education in rural areas and along femininity lines, quality of educational provisions, responsiveness of school curricula, educational standards and controls, management and planning capacity, and financing.
Moreover, Education in Puntland is much better than in many other parts of Somalia, the latest study shown that literacy rate in Puntland are increasing rapidly year by year and the number of literacy rate indicates that each five people four of them can read and write as UNICEF written.
In spite of poor educating system in Somalia, the former minister of Education Mrs. Maryan Qassim complimented schooling scheme in Puntland, I visited the Imamu Al-Nawaawi School, which I graduated, is one of the top secondary schools in the region , as soon as I entered I speculated young beautiful generation wearing different uniforms, an officer from the Ministry of High education told me that this year, 5201 will graduate from Puntland secondary schools, these young cohort are the future of the region.
Furthermore, Puntland’s economy depends on three main sources which are Importing and Exporting, Denotations from international communities and Value added taxes.
Importing and exporting are the two main pillars, the businessmen are importing different goods which are necessary from Dubai, using their small boats which no carries more than five hundred tunes.
These goods taxed high percentage which is quadrupled if we compared Berbera and Mogadishu taxing system, this issue caused to decrease the number of boats which are coming to Bosaso, the recently elected President Abdiwali, promised to reduce tax percentage for his first two years in the office.
The seaport of Bosaso is very small, but it is very strategic and unique, built by the late Siyad Bare it and the main road which connects from south to north.
Civil society had not yet developed to the point where its citizens actually paid taxes, as well as Puntland’s yearly income resulting almost totally from duty on goods passing through the seaport of Bosaso, came to estimated just 10 million USD.
The value added taxes are the first source of government’s income; it generates tax incomes to the government similar to the corporate income tax or the personal income tax.
Political progress in Puntland
Now Puntland has a recognized government, which can negotiate on behalf of its people and surroundings; the international community has Plaudit the newly elected president.
Elections in Puntland are extraordinary and unique by design; it’s not based on the democratic structure in which every adult is free to vote. Instead, it’s based on clan representation. 66 Member legislatures to sit in Puntland's House of legislature, each selected MP represent his sub-clan.
Prof Abdiwali Gas, former prime minister of Somalia in the temporary government from June 2011 to October 2012, said he welcomed the fact that Abdirihamn had accepted the defeat with only on ballot.
It is infrequent for African leaders to step down without challenging election results.
As a former Somali prime minister, Mr. Gas may be more willing than his predecessors to work with the UN-backed government in Mogadishu which is trying to unite Somalia after years of civil war.
In August, the previous Administration had suspended co-operation with the federal government, accusing it of adopting a malfunctioning constitution.
The UN special representative to Somalia, Nicholas Kay, welcomed Mr. Gas's conquest; quoting Puntland was "leading the way on the development of a federal Somalia".
Puntland and Federal Government
In August, the previous Administration had suspended co-operation with the federal government, accusing it of adopting a malfunctioning constitution.
Political analyzers believe that the newly elected president can gain the heart of Mogadishu government.
The federal government political structure is a set of supremacy not negotiation, based on tapered and devotee interests that started with the interior conquest of the administration by a group known as Damul Jadiid or ‘New Blood’.
Now, the political negotiation between Mogadishu and Garowe will be much better, newly elected president has been credited as added bones with formulating the roadmap from transition to federal and implementing political process which provides understandable standards of leading.
What people are hoping?
The civil society is hoping to have such a private self-esteem, sovereignty of connection, individual security and freedom from fear of physical harm.
As well as they are eager to have an active law and order system in Puntland to put into practice rules and regulation between the society, and creating a policy making group (bureaucracy).
The previous administration in the sub-autonomous state of Somalia made a group of non-elective supervision bureaucrat which the society called them “AARAN-JAAN”, this policy-making group was established for the first time in the history of Puntland, they made governmental organization which connects between civil society and government, but the community gave them a title which is not appropriate for them.
Finally, ending this piece of writing, the political system in Puntland depends on tolerance and respect between to the clans, due to giving the priority to the elders which are the supreme leaders in Puntland specially and Somalia in general.
Mohamed Ismail Abdullahi
Student and Junior Political scientist
International Islamic University Malaysia
red.beldaje@student.iium.edu.m
