Somalia's democracy a pleasant surprise
The Arab League and the African Union should support the nascent democratic transition in Somalia.
Yesterday, Dec. 2, Somalia’s parliament voted Abdi Farah Shirdon, the prime minister, out of office. For too long we have been hearing about tribal conflicts, pirates’ practices and terrorism by so-called al-Shabab and almost no other news of any significance.
The prime minister asked parliament on Sunday that he be allowed to defend his government against charges, but his request was rejected. The speaker provided the result of the vote in parliament to the Somali president as well as to the prime minister. A new prime minister will be named by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who said, “I welcome parliament’s role as a strong signal of Somali democracy at work.” The president further added, according to a report in The New York Times, “It is important to emphasize that the constitution has been our clear guidance throughout this situation,” and expressed appreciation for the work of the departing prime minister.
The United Nations special representative for Somalia said, “Parliamentary business was managed in accordance with the provisional constitution,” adding, “Somalia’s institutions are coming of age!”
While this event constitutes a positive development and evidence of a growing democracy, it behooves the Arab states — especially the Arab League — to make this development an opportunity to empower this evidence of democratic governance by providing economic and financial aid in order to help bring about the capacity to sustain human development, the unity of Somalia, and to help build viable institutional infrastructures.
