WDM EDITORIAL: TRUST, COMPETENCE AND TRANSPARENCY FROM SOMALI LEADERS

Those are characteristics needed in a Somali political leader or in anyone in a position of leadership in any field of human endeavors. Every grown up person has some history of doing something in their past life, which may indicate how they perfomed, expecially in dealing with people (people’s skills) and managed their responsibilities towards public and private properties.
Chinese Communist Party, worried about the chance of untested leaders getting into positions of power accidentally, had developed a method to select their leaders. It is called “Selection Through Democracy by Merit”. In other words, tested leaders through their experiences are allowed to advance slowly towards positions of power. No room for mistakes for power grab by individuals in tightly controlled power of the state and the party.

A government is a dangerous organisation that can do more damages and harm to citizens and vital national interests of a country, if it is allowed to fall into the wrong hands of dangerous and irresponsible individual or a junta. Public businesses must be made transparent to seek consent of the citizens and the governed. No backroom deals and doing businesses in the darkness.

We, the Somalis, were doing the opposite of Chinnese method – no vetting of those who aspire to attain positions of responsibilities; the more unknown a politician is, the better; the more he acts as hustler, the better; the more he is aggressive and rude, the better. The more he is popular with his clansmen and interest groups, the better. and the more he is corrupt, the more he is powerful and influential. This practice had led to Somalia’s ruin, and the current political impasse and national quagmire. It is time to rethink and review carefully how we choose those whom want to lead us.