By Senator Ali Shacbaan
Monday April 25, 2022
This
week, I had the honour and privilege of presenting my case to the Somali Senate
for the position of First Deputy Speaker of the Upper House. The role of the
Senate in our nascent democracy is to ensure the representation of the Federal
Member States and ‘be the
custodian of Federalism Principles, Initiate and amend laws, scrutinise the
bills and carry out oversight functions and holding the government of
the day to account for its actions without fear and favour.
My
political beliefs and guiding principles are clear. I believe in shared
ownership and collective responsibility, particularly at this critical
juncture - making the need to strengthen our federal governance structures
necessary if not inevitable. Why I am running for this position is because
I believe that I am a consensus builder, independent-minded and competently
able to act as a springboard to mediating between competing different
interests. At this difficult time of political misunderstanding and stagnation,
it is fundamental that we start building bridges to overcome the political
quagmire that holds our country back.
I
believe in strengthening our federal system, and the devolution of power and
government services from city to district level. The Somali constitution
stipulates that federalism must be the basis of our governance until such time
the constitution is amended. Respecting and solidifying our federal governance
structures will prevent the abuse of power and disregard for our young
democracy.
The
Upper House serves as an intermediary between the federal government and its
member states that make up our union. As a result, it is designed to settle any
disputes between the states and the federal government. My top priority is an
independent Upper House that is free for its legislative functions as enshrined
in our constitution.
The
purpose of government is to serve the needs of its people by providing vital
services and leadership so the Somali people are able to capitalise on all the
opportunities their beautiful country and the wider world offer. Therefore, our
main job is to do what is best for our country and speak truth to power. This
is not always easy or convenient but the public interest must be what both
chambers of the Somali parliament stand for and serve. Getting me elected means
getting leadership with honesty and integrity that does not simply flow where
the political winds blow.
Hard
decisions lie ahead for Somalia’s future and I understand the political
maturity and pragmatism that is key to achieving this. The reason I am
running for the position of First Deputy Speaker of Somalia’s Senate is that I
believe in all of these things and that I will be nothing other than to serve
its members effectively so that in turn they may serve their constituents and
the federal member states proudly.
The
bedrock of our democracy is the independence of our government institutions. An
independent Senate free from executive meddling is my number one priority.
Senate can no longer be an inferior partner of the executive or even the House of
the People.
Our
mandate is very clear. It is to unite the country and to keep it together by
ensuring that the Executive does not overreach its constitutional mandate to
the point it undermines the federal governance structure of our country. We are
proudly one nation, but we also have the responsibility of representing all of
our constituents in the federal member states.
Furthermore,
as explicitly established in the Provisional Constitution, Somalia's bicameral
parliament, the Upper House and the House of the People complement each other
in fulfilling their constitutionally mandated legislative duties and
responsibilities, - demonstrating the importance of key legislative functions
each one is tasked with. Sadly, this has not been the case for the past few
years. Therefore, both Houses now have the opportunity to address
unconstitutional mistakes made towards the end of Somalia’s 10th Parliament.
The
vital question is how do we do this?
First,
we must work together to advance the program of the Senate
Secondly,
we must engage with all those who we represent within the federal member
states. We must also be able to effectively articulate their needs, hopes and
dreams into genuine policy actions.
And
thirdly we must be honest and act without fear or favour in the execution of
our legislative duties so that the Somali Senate is a representative body of
the Somali Federal member states that its Somali people can be proud of.
In
conclusion, I am standing for the position of First Deputy Speaker of the Upper
House, because I know I have the commitment to serve our nation to the best of
my ability towards everything Allah SWT has given me. I will work closely with
all Senators across the House to advance our national priorities without being
consumed or wasting precious time on petty low-level politics. And finally, I
will work to ensure that the Senate plays a fundamental role in the
policy-making process of our country.
The
oath I took as a Senator to protect and serve the Somali nation and people will
be my guiding principle and the basis for all my actions as your future First
Deputy Speaker. If my fellow Senators vote for me, these are the things I
am confident we can achieve together.
Senator Ali Shacban
Ibrahim – Candidate for the First Deputy Speaker of the Upper House, Federal
Republic of Somalia