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Epilogue to Puntland's Election and A Farewell To M.C. XaashiJan 14, 2005 In the early hours of Saturday morning, on January 8, 2005, a historic democratic process was set in motion in the Somali Regional State of Puntland. In this process, a retired army General, General Cadde Muuse Boqor was voted in to assume the presidency for the coming five yeas. General Cadde Muuse won the election with 35 votes against Maxamed Cabdi Xaashi's 30 votes. At the closing of this historic process, the looser congratulated the winner on a job well done showing an unprecedented sprit of cooperation. True to the democratic tradition that is sought after in Somalia, Maxamed Cabdi Xaashi quickly offered his service, if and when is needed, to the president-elect in his new endeavor. It can be recalled that Wardheernews had initially endorsed the candidacy of Maxamed Cabdi Xaashi as the better alternative to lead Puntland for the next five years. However, a diversified group of 65 delegates, who represented all the residents of the different regions of Puntland saw it differently and voted in the retired General. On both sides, supporters voted based not on clan or regional loyalty, but by closely taking a stock on who they thought would be the best candidate for a daunting job. In an article that tallied how delegates voted (allpuntland.com), we learned that delegates have crossed regional and clan boundaries, showing a maturity of the delegates and the democratic process in the region. We at Wardheernews, therefore, respect the voice of the people and congratulate General Cadde Muuse and bid farewell to Maxamed Cabdi Xaashi wishing him good luck in his future endeavors. The Wardheernews family urges all supporters of Maxamed Cabdi Xaashi to extend their unwavering support to the president-elect, as did Maxamed Cabdi Xaashi. Having said that, we call upon the victor to reach out across the aisle and form an inclusive and a broadly representative government, thereby distributing cabinet posts to the constituents of both sides. That is the only way Puntland can foster a government of unity. The victor should resist the temptation of what has corrupted African politics in the past, i.e., “winner takes all.” Cade Muuse's victory must serve as a watershed in ushering of the democratization of post-Abdullahi Yusuf Puntland. The new president needs to fend off the multifaceted crisis that plagued the regional government in the past. One way to do so would be to appoint a disciplined, uncorrupted professional Minister of Finance and must move away from the previous culture of corruption under Mr. Faroole. In addition, the port of Bossaaso, the number one economic engine of the region, must be administered by an equally competent professional staff and should be immune to intermittent interventions by the executive branch of the government as was the case under Abdullahi Yusuf's era. Finally, as the president-elect already articulated, Peace must be given the highest priority to resolve the conflict with Somaliland. Also, close cooperation must be fostered with Somalia and extend all possible helping hand to the new Transitional Government of Prime Minister Geedi and be part of the reconstruction of a well governed new Somalia.
Copyright © 2005 Wardheernews.com
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