TRADITIONAL ELDERS ARE NOW IMPEDIMENTS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE
First and foremost, statehood and governance wasn’t part of their responsibilities. It was necessary option to involve them in the immediate post Civil War Somalia with regards to peacemaking, reconciliation among warring clans, and to help in convening founding congresses for the establishment of Federal Member States. As Somalia moves away from warlordism and factional fightings, their role in politics becomes an obstacle to effective administration and good governance. Now they should be reduced to traditional roles only, urgently removed from their involvement in politics, if Somalia wants to move forward with modern statecraft.
The role of clan elders in this election cycle must be curtailed in order to elect qualified and competent members of parliament.
We could imagine and expect corrupt politicians, but we can’t tolerate corrupt traditional elders because there is no recourse to replace them by impeaching.
https://amazon.com/author/ismailwarsame
