Note: As the date above shows this article was published in 2010; however, as the same situation repeated itself now in 2019, the author decided to republish the piece as it is relevant to what is happening now under K-2 administration as it was under K-1 administration!

Tuesday, January 22, 2019
An open letter to all concerned- Media, Opposition and the Government

Our inner squabbles blinded us from what is going on in our country and around us. It diminished our abilities, our sense of purpose and nation building. This is mainly as a result of our ignorance of how democratic governments work.
Inner squabbles annul Somaliland hopes and aspirations to become a viable serious and functioning state which lives within the limits of her laws and regulations and serves her people and her cause diligently.

Genuine political opposition and responsible Media are necessary attributes of democracy, tolerance, and trust in the ability of citizens to resolve differences by peaceful means. It is a two way street, pro and against based on truth, fairness and tolerance!
So let us (all) be aware of that and be careful how we dispense information and how we criticize the government or the head of the government on none issue things!
It is a matter of balance and responsibilities for each and all parties concerned.

The existence of serious opposition, without which politics ceases, is indispensable to the functioning of democratic political systems. Only administrations with dictatorial tendencies feel threat of this and as a result rock the boat!
It is pertinent to stress the importance of freedom of access to the media and on the other side; it is incumbent upon the Media to be very responsible in despising information. So the same applies to the government.

An effective and responsible Opposition and Media are essential for the success of our democracy. Since the Executive has a major influence on whether the Opposition and the Media can play their proper rolls in the system, it is important to focus on the Government’s role; access to resources and information is critical to strengthening the capability of the Opposition and the Media and therefore to their overall credibility.
It should be emphasized that the Opposition be enabled to hold the Executive to account and the Media to expose that in a fair, unprejudiced and balanced way.

There is a real responsibility and real understanding of responsibilities involved here and the real opposition entities must and ought to understand that, with out which the opposition loses the trust of the people and worse becomes an agent of destabilization! Guided by reason and intuition, and drawing on new insights as well as from our past experience, objective thinking is uniquely required in this time and age in our Media out lets the electronic, the audio and the print media. Clan or person based mud-throwing and
Squabbles, sometimes develops in to startling confrontations in baseless arguments!
Many recognize that the people in our Somaliland who need what we have to offer need that service to be provided but in a balanced and prejudice free way.
Such people- the service providers must be our forefront reason for the existence of our Web-sites and other media out lets. So why are we not careful in our criticism for pro or against the ruling entity in which we selectively condemn or condone based on clan lineage and not of real facts and figures? Why do we collaterally cause a shame or damage to our Somaliland because we blindly attack some one or an entity we don’t like, for one (silly) reason or the other! There is a thin and a blare line here. We have to be careful.

Objective criticism and serious loyal opposition is most welcome in a true and serious democracy and it is most well come in Somaliland, but there is a blare line between this virtue and a casual greed and clan instigated attacks emanates from the administration who feels threatened by exposing what must not be exposed.
Bad governments must be exposed, and that is fine as far as democracy is concerned. And that is the job of the (responsible) media and opposition parties, but it must be true, fair and balanced.

Any (new) governing entity going through changes experiences conflict. It is something closer to squabbling with the (responsible) media; however, that has often diverted us from our journalistic sense of purpose and the duty of the loyal opposition.
Pervasive divisiveness has driven away some of the objective writers and analysts and truth tellers and seekers of facts who have come through your front doors of your websites and print media. Focusing on our disagreements, innuendos and the rest of it is toxic indeed!
In this never ending squabble Somaliland indulges in “kahorgee and kujiqsee quagmire” blinds us to see our Cause and the big Picture, the hopes and aspirations of Mother Somaliland!
I am calling the head of the government who is exclusively responsible to hold elections by law, to exercise his solemn duty and do it on time. Take the deal of adding two individuals to each party now in the National election commission. Abandon using mercurial and unhinged Faisal against the other party. It is destructive in the highest order.

However peace and prayers
Ibrahim M Mead
Ottawa Canada
Meadgd@gmail.com
THE END