MESSAGE FROM HON. ABDIRAHMAN ABDISHAKUR

warsame24ISKUTASHI: AN AGENDA FOR SELF-RELIANCE
Fellow Somalis,

After nearly three decades in perpetual political and social unrest, Somalia is at another crossroads. As the mandate of the current government ends in September 2016, – and the Indirect Election Commission announced a tentative date for the Presidential election, there is a real opportunity for Somalia to reverse the losses of four years of abject failures. Although a considerable progress has been made, yet the country continues to face extreme complexities and pressing challenges that include, but not limited to;

 

  • Political instability
  • Deteriorating security situation
  • Endemic corruption at highest level
  • Erosion of public trust in government
  • Youth unemployment at an alarming rate
  • Lack of national spirit and hope.

With all these serious fundamental challenges, there is no doubt that the country requires change of leadership. It needs a leadership that can gain the trust of Somali citizens with bold, ambitious and workable agendas. But equally can garner the confdence of our international partners who, time and again, demonstrated their unwavering support for Somalia and its people.

It’s within this persuasion and a strong political conviction that I am launching my political manifesto

(Isku-Tashi). A new agenda that it’s sole purpose is to revive the public spirit but more importantly keep Somalia on track.

Isku-Tashi, or self-reliance, is framework that strives to promote nation building and unity through serious policy agendas putting Somalia on path to economic development and self-sustainability. Isku-Tashi framework consists of the following five overarching themes that are critical to Somali success.

  • Political Stability and National cohesion
  • Restructuring security Sector
  • Revitalizing Somali’s Economy Sector
  • Public Services,  Accountability,  Combating

Corruption

  • Regional stability and International Cooperation

Informed by this widespread consultation ‘Isku-tashi’ framework will be a guiding principle for my administration for the next four years.

We will continue to consult as we embark on its implementation.

 

VISION OF ISKU-TASHI

The overarching aim of Isku-tashi is to realize a stable, united, federal and self-sustaining Somalia that is dignifed, responsible and is a respected member of the global community.

 

KEY AGENDAS OF ISKU-TASHI MANIFESTO

(1) POLITICAL STABILITY AND NATIONAL COHESION

The most underlying challenge for Somali’s future, the one on which everything rests, is cohesive politics and national dialogue. The frst agenda towards achieving ‘Isku-tashi’ framework is the need for building a shared understanding within Somalis on the political direction and future of the country. Somalia’s politics has become mired in personal animosity as political competitors fail to conduct themselves in a civilized and professional manner. Too often this personal animosity has been allowed to turn into ethnic rivalry, creating unnecessary fear and despondency.

Further, Iskutashi strongly believes that all Somalis should be proud of their ethnic heritage, regardless of clan identity and discrimination, tribalism and hatred has no place in our culture and social fabric.

Violence has scarred many of our communities for so long that tension fuelled by a feeling of exclusion and disadvantage persists.

We believe all Somalis should actively share in the benefts of our country’s successes. This means;

  • Initiating a genuine national political dialogue
  • Community-based reconciliation
  • Returning to the customary process of peace-making approaches

Isku-tashi will anchor national reconciliation, bringing together warring clans, factions and marginalized groups to discuss and agree on a framework for genuine unity and forgiveness and build new community spirit for a rejuvenated federal and united Somalia.

We believe that political stability – or enduring peace for that matter – is inextricably linked to reconciliation.

Achieving this requires broad-based and inclusive politics.

We also believe that insecurity and lack of development could fuel more confict and deepen mistrust and clan disintegration.

Among the thorniest challenges facing the current state-building and peace-making effort is the contestation for political power and resources at the federal and regional level, and the absence of the functional governance structure that can deliver services. Additionally, we need national dialogue to forge common understanding among public and political elites on future political arrangements with regard to competition for power and resources.

The Isku-tashi platform will devise a coherent strategy to address the polarization and mistrust among Somalis by building trust and broadening the base of national reconciliation efforts, by reaching out to the Somali community, including clans and religious leaders, women’s group, the business community and the Diaspora.

To achieve this we will prioritize the following key areas;-

  • Peace orientation programs and support for traditional leaders to play a pivotal role in reconciliation and reach out.
  • A comprehensive plan for social reconciliation and promotion of the peace agenda.
  • Use of traditional Somali confict resolution mechanisms

A Functioning Multi-Party System and Fair Electoral Model

The Isku-tashi platform envisages a political roadmap from 2016 to 2020, setting out a clear trajectory for Somalia towards one-person one-vote system for the 2020 elections.

This is necessary in order to complete the state-building process. The goal is universal elections in 2020 for a bicameral federal parliamentary system and in line with Somalia’s Federal Constitution.

The aim is to ensure all Somalis of voting age exercise their right to fully participate in the political process.

The 2020 elections shall involve voting for both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament. The Isku-tashi platform will prioritize detailed discussion of the electoral system for 2020 with a view to;

  • Creating a conducive environment for political competition
  • Enabling political parties to begin to organize and establish themselves for the 2020 electoral contest.
  • Developing necessary legislation related to the electoral, federalization and state-building processes (i.e. electoral law, citizenship law, etc.), including a decision on the electoral system (system of representation) and modalities of universal suffrage (one-person one-vote) electoral system for 2020

TOWARDS A FEDERAL STRUCTURE

The federalization process in Somalia is perhaps the most important cross-cutting challenge we face. Decades of confict have engendered the belief that peaceful co-existence is predicated on creating different levels of government and governance. But this must be done in such a way that the various levels reinforce each other, rather than work at cross-purpose. Somalia will need to determine the precise modalities for governance and how the different levels interact, what prerogatives and powers are located where, and how we share resources between us. In the coming four years, this will be the most important task ahead. Formally, once the Boundaries and Federation Commission submits its recommendation on conferring federal member state status on existing interim regional administrations, the Government will prepare the necessary legal framework for the formalization of federal member state status (the “graduation” of existing interim regional administrations into full-fedged federal member states).

At the same time, the federal members states will need to devolve power by establishing legitimate, inclusive and representative local governments to maintain a closer connection with their constituents and to achieve increased local participation in governance, decision-making and the use of resources and better delivery of services. And once formal recognition of existing interim regional administrations as federal member states has been achieved, the Inter-State Commission envisaged in the Provisional Federal Constitution will need to be established to ensure continuous dialogue and joint and fully coordinated decision-making.

FINALIZATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW PROCESS

Somalia’s Provisional Federal Constitution contains both shortfalls and opportunities for achieving mutual conciliation among competing interests.

How these shortfalls are addressed and opportunities seized will shape Somalia’s prospects for peace. Somalia is coming out of a fractured unitary state to become a federal united Somalia.

This entails more than changes to its constitutional structure. It requires a new understanding of the state as the institutional compromise required to preserve a composite in which the basic question of constitutional politics is what the terms of political association should be among the constituent nations.

The Isku-tashi platform will pursue the completion of the provisional constitution and establish the Constitutional

Court.

The platform will prioritize creating conducive environment to discuss allocation of competencies, revenues and resource-sharing arrangements between the federal government and member states. An Inter-State Commission will review progress in all these activities quarterly.

(II) RESTRUCTURING SECURITY SECTOR

Security and safety are the essential ingredients of everyday life in Somalia. We believe our men and women in uniform are underpaid, unappreciated and poorly equipped. As result, AMISOM, security contractors, private companies and rogue elements in government have outsourced and comprised our security, thereby emasculating our police and army.

Insecurity in Somalia is inherently political, with politics running through the fabric of Somali society, and clan dynamics being a central thread to this. The Security pillar of the ‘Isku-tashi’ platform prioritizes, among other things, a monopoly of force through a legitimate, professional and disciplined Somali national army.

Moreover, the failure of the security apparatus in Somalia can be attributed to various reasons, among them:-

  • Lack of a clear vision and commitment to building and investing Somalia’s national army and,
  • Lack of a political settlement among the broad range of Somali actors outside the federal government and its regional administrations, (including insurgents and neighboring countries).
  • Low priority accorded by the current administration to security reform and inability to engage federal member states on security reform.
  • The distrust of the SNA in the regions, and Al Shabaab and rouge elements infltration or infuence in the  SNA.
  • Unrealistic ambitions among FGS military chiefs regarding a desirable SNA model and absence of institutional capacity to implement decisions

A federated security approach is the key to development of Somalia’s security institutions, with the political and security nexus central to the discussions. The politics of security is central to the progress of security sector. Al Shabaab flls the vacuum of poor governance and thrives on grievances.

Support for Al Shabaab is a symptom not a driver of confict between clans and regions. It is primarily an internal threat. Consideration should be given to moving from Counter-Terrorism to Counter-Insurgency.

To address these critical challenges, the Isku-tashi security agenda will prioritize the following:-

  • Boosting the morale of our soldiers by paying them on time and strengthening their capacity through training, equipping them properly.
  • Reviewing and restructuring the security and justices architectures for institutional reforms that include effective and transparent system for payment, service delivery, procurement provision, and fnancial oversight
  • Prioritizing institutional capacity building of Somalia’s federated security architecture from the bottom up as well as top-down. This would be anchored in consensus among Somalia’s political stakeholders regarding the federated security model, including the purpose, composition, funding and accountability of armed forces at both the federal and state levels, and the desirable balance between the army, darawish, police, intelligence and maritime protection forces.
  • Encouraging participation in periodical capacity development programmes to maintain good order in the disciplined forces.
  • Establishing functional linkages through training and through the command structure of the various disciplines of the armed forces to create synergy, effcacy and cooperation, so as to maximise their respective capacities.
  • Harmonizing the role of the National Security Commission and the National Security Council as defned in the Constitution. Key considerations for development of the SNA need to be agreed, which could include
  1. Acknowledging that reform of the SNA is highly politically sensitive
  1. Decentralization to achieve ‘mutual threat reduction’ and equal shares for all
  1. Reassuring major stakeholders;
  1. Integrating a phased, ‘bottom-up’ system with ‘regiments’ leading to national integration
  1. Entrenching clan diversity in recruitment and training plans.

 

  • Developing a strategy for inclusive politics, with the greatest achievements against Al Shabaab likely to be delivered through the clan structures and local militia.
  • Adopting an intelligence-based model in the fght against Al Shabaab, with a shift from the military to the police.
  • Creating a credible exit plan for AMISOM with a timeline of 2018 to begin its withdrawal. Combined with progress in SNA operational capability with a view to full AMISOM exit from Somalia in 2020.
  • Building ministerial capacity and effective inter-ministerial cooperation for formulating, promulgating, and implementing policies, and existing plans of (Guulwade and Heegan) for the Somali National Army and Somali Police Force.
  • Establishing a joint command and control structure coordinated at the national and regional level to integrate the SNA and SPF, and develop National Security Policy and National Threat Assessment agreed with federal member states and issued in fnalized form.
  • Operationalizing the National Security Council to fully function with representatives from federal member states.

JUSTICE REFORM

A well-functioning security force is vital for the maintenance of peace and security, and enforcement of the rule of law.

The stabilisation in Somalia will depend as much on the legitimacy of state authority and re-establishment of the rule of law on rebuilding Somalia’s police and military. Isku-tashi will prioritize comprehensive judicial reform by;

  • Revive the judicial system through training, legislation and precedents and rehabilitate the physical infrastructure and equipment of the judicial sector.
  • Enhance greater balance between the Judiciary, Legislature and Executive arms of government and clarify the roles of the courts and attorney general.
  • Prioritise better training of legal professionals – including defence attorneys – by revising the training curriculum to add a more focus on the role of defence counsel, constitutional law, criminal procedure, ethics and international law.
  • Give greater support to merit-based appointments of senior positions within the Judiciary such as the Attorney General, Supreme Court Chief Justice and Justice Minister by articulating and adhering to requirements for standards of professionalism, educational qualifcations and term limits.
  • Adopt legislation to protect the Judiciary from outside interference, secure its staff and witnesses and punish those implicated in obstruction of justice.
  • Conduct an honest assessment of the Supreme Court’s administrative capacity in order to realign management.
  • Bring criminal procedure and penal codes into line with international standards of due process.

(III) REVITALIZING SOMALI’S ECONOMY SECTOR

According to the latest United States Agency for International Development (USAid) report on Somalia, the economy faces the following challenges: –

  • Absence of governance
  • Extreme poverty
  • Chronic unemployment of over 75%.
  • Poor business climate
  • Absence of regulation
  • Monopolies, and cartels that fx prices and aggressively assert their control over new industries.

The World Bank estimates Somalia’s GDP at around USD5.4 billion, an economy driven by private consumption and imports. Exports were equivalent to about 14% of GDP while imports accounted for more than two-thirds of the figure.

The large defcit signals opportunity for Somalis to produce for the local market, boost exports, and reduce reliance on imports.

At the core of Isku-tashi’ vision for growing the economy is adopting a set of comprehensive structural, legislative and institutional reforms and harnessing our abundant national resources to revitalize the economy.

Somalia has vast resources that can generate and create millions of jobs while attracting major investments.

These sectors include livestock, fsheries, agriculture and energy and mineral resources. In every sector, Somalia has the potential to be self-sustaining if properly managed and invested.

Economic development is critical to building a positive momentum in Somalia and sustaining transition to stability and prosperity in the medium and longer terms.

Isku-tashi seeks to 

  • Accelerate growth to double-digit fgure in fve (5) years
  • Reduce unemployment signifcantly
  • Increase exports by 40%
  • Maximize revenue mobilization
  • Reform and formalize the fnancial sector by establishing a viable, properly regulated banking sector
  • Implement a credible and fully funded budget
  • Accelerate the rollout of massive economic and social infrastructure programme especially in energy, public transport, ICT and water supply to unlock economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life of our people.
  • Promote investment and access to credit in the productive economy by the fnancial sector, including development of fnance institutions, through bold and far-reaching reforms.

Isku-tashi will mobilize and leverage the active participation of all sectors in these bold initiatives. The private sector must actively contribute to inclusive growth, investment, social development and economic transformation.

 

INVESTING IN THE PRODUCTIVE SECTOR

Despite progress in the last 15 years, much of Somalia’s natural resources have been neglected. Under the Isku-tashi platform, we put forward a strong, ambitious national economic plan to overturn our economic growth and social infrastructure, driven by solid regulatory frameworks, but have the great potential in unlocking and reviving the country’s traditional and resourceful sectors.

In Somalia, measures to increase a modest economic revival must start with political leadership, followed by reviving the country’s production sectors.

Our underlying vision is to ensure that these sectors are reinvigorated under the National Development Plan (NDP), which encompasses various economic development measures, but also ensure the implementation part of it as we go forward.

We believe that for Somalia’s self-reliance path exclusively hinge on unlocking the country’s rich and natural resources.

The following are among the traditional sectors we will focus on;

  • Increasing Agricultural Productivity: Isku-tashi sees the agriculture sector as the largest – and most important source for job creation and poverty reduction and is committed to introducing a comprehensive policy framework. In cooperation with the agriculture ministry, Isku-tashi will give special emphasis on this sector, and allow the minister for agriculture to play a leading role in the regulation and development of policy frameworks.

Crafting agriculture policy and increasing productivity requires bold, private-public partnerships and investments across ministerial sectors. Hence, Isku-tashi’s role will be spearheading this process, and ensure its vision, together with line ministries, is being realized.

Given these resources, Isku-tashi projects a massive amount of employment opportunities for various regions and cities across the country as well as economic growth for the country’s agricultural sector.

  • Boosting Livestock Sector: Livestock is the lifeline of Somalia’s economy, and about 70% of the population overwhelmingly depends on it. It provides employment opportunities and generates 40% of the GDP and 80% of the foreign currency earnings, excluding cash remittances from Somalis in the diaspora. Livestock is the livelihood of pastoralists, contributes to government revenues, and employs a wide range of professionals and other service providers. The pastoral-based livestock sub-sector secures direct jobs for over 55% of the total labor force, plus indirect employment for another large segment of the labor force along the livestock value chains.
  • Improving the Fishing Industry: Fishing has traditionally been a viable and productive sector with Somalia exporting fsh to other countries. Isku-tashi aims to invest heavily in the fshing sector by improving accessibility to markets and production through sound policy and regulatory frameworks. Somalia’s northern coastline on the Gulf of Aden from Djibouti to RasAsir (Cape Guardafui) is about 1,000 km long, and its eastern coast extends along the Indian Ocean from RasAsir to Kenya, a distance of about 2,000 km. Coral reefs abound along the coast. The continental shelf along both coasts is narrow, usually extending not more than between 6 and 30 km from the shore, except in the RasAsir to RasMabber area where the shelf is up to 60 km wide. During the south-west monsoon (May to August), a strong northeast current is, generates an upwelling along the northeast coast of Somalia, creating one of the most productive ecosystems in the ocean.
  • Restoring Key Infrastructures: Much of Somalia’s physical infrastructure was destroyed during the civil war. Today, most of the roads, highways, inter-region roads, power grid, airport, ports and telecommunication) are either dysfunctional or non-existent. We, at Isku-tashi platform, place restoring key infrastructure at the heart of our strategy. Similarly, we believe that infrastructures are key ingredients for development, peace and security. We plan to introduce a Modern Infrastructure plan (MIP) that facilitates to the development and the implementation of Isku-tashi platform. Along with physical restoration of social infrastructure, we will add strengthening the policy and regulatory frameworks that include social-related services provisions, technical capacities and sub-sector plans.

 

SUSTAINABLE FISCAL POLICY

Among the multifaceted challenges facing Somalia today is a weak fscal policy that has resulted in extreme dependence on foreign aid to fnance the recurrent budget that includes paying civil servants and soldiers and providing key government services.

This has cost the government its legitimacy in the eyes of the Somali people and is an obstacle to a properly functioning economy and state.

At the core of Isku-tashi initiative is reform and reorganization of our fscal institutions and structures to improve revenue mobilization.

This will be done by identifying new sources of revenue, like foreign remittances and telecommunication services, while introducing new measures to fght corruption revenue collection and remittance. We will also enhance coordination of the intergovernmental fscal arrangements and negotiate nationally agreed revenue mechanisms.

Isku-tashi will take immediate and urgent steps to boost revenue collection, improve the governance of customs, revise the existing tax regime, and strengthen enforcement to reduce leakages and raise revenue through:

  • Synchronizing the budget with policy: the government’s budget is the most important document after the Constitution so it has to mirror the policy that is prescribed to deal with the existing problems the country faces in every day. In practice, there has always been a gap between our budget and policy. This manifesto promises to bridge that gap.
  • Strengthening enforcement and boosting revenue: this manifesto considers the sense of urgency needed to improve the Inland Revenue by expediting registration of new businesses and imposing taxes on them.

It will also work with the parliament to pass the telecommunications law and operationalize the fnancial institutions act (2011) to introduce a detailed tax arrangements for those key sectors, we will impose taxes on the remittances “hawala”, and charge telecommunications per the amount of calls.

  • Establishing intergovernmental fscal council, the council will coordinate the negotiation and unifcation of the tax system and arrangements, it will also become the catalyst of a more federated tax regime, it will also enhance the management of customs under the federal government with the consent of the federal member states.
  • Fiscal Discipline to reduce government debt and balance the budget by matching government spending to revenue.
  • Concessions: we believe that it is urgently necessary to review all the important concessions awarded in the last fve (5) years, including the airport, seaport, asset recovery, oil and gas, fsheries, and other major contracts not awarded transparently.

We believe that a strong fscal policy together with a regulated market can stimulate economic development and income growth. Coming out of these challenges would require a bold and major restructuring in how our policies and private sector operate and run business.

In doing so, Isku-tashi platform will set out key priorities for the next four years – building strongly regulated and well-functioning systems tied to the National Development Plan (NDP), as well as other policies by various government ministries, for both short and long term economic growth.

Isku-tashi seeks a self-sustaining and robust improvement on fscal policies and regulations to tackle massive unemployment and poverty. We will create an enabling condition for investment, private sector confdence, promoting growth and job creation. This will also require public-private partnerships.

 

SOMALIA REVENUE AUTHORITY

In order to improve resource mobilisation while providing the public with better quality and courteous services and assisting taxpayers to meeting their obligations, we will frst introduce the frst Somali Revenue Authority (SRA). This new authority will be responsible for collecting and accounting for tax, customs and other specifed revenues through effective administration and enforcement of the laws relating to those revenues.

Its mandate will also include collection of non-tax revenues. SRA will have the responsibility for providing advice to the Government on tax policy matters relating to revenue collections. The SRA will have three main divisions; Customs; Domestic Tax Revenue Division and Support Service Division.

The SRA will:-

  • Ensure greater accountability to Government for the professional management of tax administration and provide for other matters related to the improvement of revenue administration.
  • Provide one stop service for taxpayers for the submission of return and payment of taxes and provide common tax procedures that enable taxpayers to be governed by single set of rules.
  • Reduce administrative and tax compliance cost and provide better service to taxpayers and promote effcient collection and the equitable distribution of tax burden and ensure greater transparency and integrity.
  • Integrate the management of domestic Tax and Customs and modernize Domestic Tax and Custom operations through the review of processes and procedures
  • Provide a holistic approach to tax and customs administration.

Role of Private Sector Regulation

Somali people are gifted with entrepreneurship talents that are, in fact, seen in the Diaspora including different parts of African countries as well as inside Somalia.

After the overthrow of the last central government of Somalia in 1991, the overall economic system was surfaced by what could be termed as a “laissez faire” economy.

n fact, this was the case, because there has never been a political authority that could have “regulated” or “managed” the economy.

The Somali people have been heavily involved in trading, and the patterns of the intra-regional and import-export trade demonstrate the fexibility of the Somalis in securing their economic needs, relying on networks which do not ft in the traditional defnition of a ‘national’ economy.

Our campaign policy framework for a regulated private sector looks at the post-1991 Somali economy, and presents some economic development alternatives.

However, one crucial point that we need to note here is that a government “regulated economy” cannot be seen as an absolute “government controlled” economic development. In this case, our proposed alternative economic development is a model where the state and the market are equal partners in national economic development.

 

GUIDING POLICIES

There are fve key policy frameworks that our campaign presents for our country’s economic development, and they are in the following pullet points:

  • Peace and Security: The main factor that our economic development is based on is peace and security inside our country and within our neighbors in the region. Our campaign is committed to provide the necessary access that our private sector demands, by engaging and collaborating with our neighboring countries
  • Infrastructure: Accessible infrastructure for our growing and talented private sector is what our campaign is committed to. For four years, the current government failed to provide a reliable infrastructure for our private sector
  • Encouraging Talents and Innovations: Our economic development model is committed to welcome the talents and the innovations of the actors in the private sector whether it’s the big corporations and small businesses
  • Responsibility: Our private sector cannot function without a shared responsibility and collaboration with the public sector
  • Trusted Taxation System: As taxation is a key source of revenue for any government, our economic development policy focused on creating a strong taxation system for the private sector.

 

(IV) PUBLIC SERVICES, ACCOUNTABILITY, COMBATING CORRUPTION

After experiencing two decades of continuous civil war and destruction of the country’s basic infrastructure and public institutions Somalis see the following as critical for sustainable growth and recovery:-

  • Establishment of credible governance and public administration institutions
  • An effective Public Service, whether understood as an institution, an organization structure, a cadre of public offcials, or simply as the service provided by a public authority.

A capable public service has a greater bearing on recovery than is generally recognized, in terms of

  • Delivering aid and basic services
  • Rebuilding national cohesion and credibility, legitimacy, and trust of government Institutions, systems, structures and processes
  • Planning, implementing and sustaining service delivery
  • Revitalizing the economy, and ensuring security.

But, one of the key, and perhaps under-appreciated elements of recovery, involves the human and social dimensions of rebuilding trust in government. How the public service is restructured and how it is redesigned to function becomes one of the most visible ways in which government interfaces with its populace. This gives the public service a much greater role in and infuence on social cohesion and development.

Most of the problems baffing Somalia and its citizens arise from the many years of bad governance and mismanagement of public resources. All government institutions lack the capacity to provide basic services to the wider population, but are facing similar challenges such as the lack of adequate administrative infrastructure, systems and policy and the absence of a civil service system.

Finally, the lack of fnancial resources to attract qualifed Somalis is hampering many of the processes that could support progress in the above. We seek to;

  • Strengthen public administration
  • Reform public fnancial management
  • Rebuild infrastructure
  • Develop human resource capacity.

This cannot be done unless there is coordinated and timely support of international assistance and technical support to the government of Somalia in order to establishment of effective institution which is critical to the long term functionality of state institution.

Our focus is on enhancing governance, by establishing and strengthening key government institutions at both central and local levels in order to achieve measurable improvement in the delivery of services and the protection of rights of all Somalis.

We will prioritize the following key areas:

  • Government machinery ministries, departments etc., will be restructured and rationalized to ensure fscally sustainable public administration;
  • Civil Service Commission will be enhanced and its functions reformed to refect the core functions and responsibilities of each institution
  • Clear and transparent appointment/recruitment mechanism will be established and applied.
  • Government security and law enforcement agencies will adopt corrective measures, such as code of conduct and procedures aimed at preventing arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, extortion and illegal expropriation of property in a view to the elimination of these practices.
  • The top civil servants will take part compulsory capacity building and training programme from basic management of organisation theory, administrative communication, accountability, delegation, supervisory management, planning, organisational control, motivation, to high level visioning and strategic planning workshops.

 

COMBATING THE CORRUPTION

Corruption has continued to hamper delivery of service in our country. We intend to intensify the fght against this vice in both public and private sectors through various measures, including holding public offcials individually liable for losses incurred as a result of corrupt actions.

Corruption, as the misuse of entrusted power for private gain, has undermined both state ability to govern and the recognition of the right to rule. There is a broad consensus among the public that the level corruption within federal government institutions has become epidemic and eroded citizens’ trust in public institutions as well as in the political system, which in turn has undermined the legitimacy of government institutions.

 

Corruption has also contributed to state weakness by impeding economic growth and undermining democracy. This has limited state capacity to prevent and manage confict and to slide back into civil confict to arise.

New and opportunistic clan, business, rogue elements and political networks have emerged to capture state resources, preventing the development of an inclusive political arrangement and threatening the peace, and stability of Somalia.

The current administration has failed to prioritize long-term goals of State-building over the short-term capture of State resources. As Somalia enters the next phase of transition in 2016, this presents a signifcant threat to the long-term peace, security and stability of Somalia. The endemic corruption, weak rule of law, and high levels of insecurity have contributed political instability and weaken the government ability to govern.

Al-Shabaab has been able to exploit the failures of the government to consolidate control, establish local administrations, provide security and build public trust. The combination of weak institutions and governance structures, low absorption capacity and infows of foreign aid provide high opportunities for corruption and abuse, with relatively low risks of being caught and adequately punished. These risks are exacerbated by intensive struggle for economic and political power.

 

OVERCOMING LEGITIMACY CHALLENGES

Weak formal state institutions co-exist with informal institutions, blurring the distinction between the public and the private spheres has undermined the legitimacy of the formal state institutions. With low level of legitimacy, the government lost citizens support, in which subsequently has undermined its ability to exercise power and effciency to manage the re-building process.

LIMITED AUTHORITY

It has also failed to extend its authority and control beyond the capital, Mogadishu. These legitimacy challenges are further complicated by government’s ineffectiveness and weakened professionalism as well as lack of administrative capacity and resources.

As a result, the current administration has failed to build state capacity to deliver quality public services to citizens, manage budget processes in a transparent manner, and establish adequate governance structures and accountability frameworks. Subsequently, donors have channeled assistance through local or international NGOs, perpetuating parallel systems of aid delivery.

While bypassing ineffcient government structures and institutions can improve access to basic services in the short term, in the longer term, this approach erodes the state’s ability to deliver public services, undermine further its legitimacy and weaken the accountability framework, with people continuing to turn to external stakeholders for assistance.

POLITICAL WILL

In addition to capacity and legitimacy challenges, the lack of political will by the current administration to fght the corruption and improve governance has resulted in heightening the risks and reducing the opportunities for illicit enrichment.

There is widespread misuse of state resources to overcome legitimacy challenges and secure the support they need to remain in power. The main drivers of corruption in Somalia have been collusive procurement practices, weak rule of law and abuse of the legal system, and arbitrary abuse of power.

Under framework of “Isku-tashi” we will do our utmost and urgently prioritize the war on corruption. This will rest on the twin pillars of strengthening enforcement and reducing opportunities. Specifc actions include the following:

  • Establish anti-corruption policy and legal framework and developing the strategy to implement the policy and enforce the legislation. The anti-corruption strategy will guide institutional building to control corruption
  • Operationalize article 111C of Provisional Constitution by establishing Anti-Corruption Commission with time-bound prosecutorial powers. Membership of this commission will be drawn from civil society, qualifed legal specialists as well as renowned international fgures.
  • Establish Department of Ethics and Governance at the offce of the Prime Minister to coordinate anti-corruption programs among all stakeholders involved in fghting against corruption.
  • Institutionalize anti-corruption prevention through formation of an Anti-Corruption Commission to coordinate anti-corruption programmes in Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies and the Private Sector.
  • Provide the Supreme Court with the resources needed to implement its comprehensive reform program that will ensure judges are appropriately compensated, protected, and held to high standards of professional behavior.
  • Reform and improve the National Audit Agency, and institute a requirement for all government offcials to provide public declarations of their assets
  • Form a national procurement board staffed by qualifed professionals who will manage all large-value contracts using internationally recognized standards and procedures.

 

  • REGIONAL STABILITY AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Historically, Somali’s foreign policy has been shaped by the colonial rules and was often caught in between competing powers – at time aligning itself with wrong partners, often in political expedience.

Looking back over Somalia’s history for the past century, it has all too often been associated with foreign policy missteps and mistakes from the establishment of colonial rule in our country to negotiating independence and statehood, to the collapse of the state in the early 1990s.

Somalia descended into internal wars and regional conficts, which brought instability to the region as a whole and made the world cautious about engaging with our country.

Those foreign policy mistakes and missteps were based on a poor understanding of the language of diplomacy and the system of interaction between the community of nations, as well as ignorance of the body of international law. Moreover, in the international arena, Somalis often sought to chew more than they could swallow and over-estimated their political weight, which put at odds with the super-powers or their proxies at the regional level.

Its in this ignorance and misconceptions that led to grievous mistakes that resulted in wars amongst ourselves and colluding with our neighbours, taking us into isolation from the rest of the world and weakening our economy – to the point where our country disintegrated.

While we recognize and value the international support and assistance that has allowed us a nascent stability, we should also be conscious that acute dependence on outsiders is a major threat to Somalia and its survival.

We cannot rely on outsiders for all our state affairs, from security provided by international peacekeepers to the legitimacy that our current leaders seek from outsiders rather than their own people. Moreover, the recurrent drought and famine that strikes our country is another result of over relaying on foreign assistance. Instead of relaying on ourselves, harnessing the vast resource that we have been bestowed, we appeal to external assistance and signifcant junk of our society has become dependent on foreign aid.

To address all these existential threats, we must build an effective and self-reliant state whose legitimacy is rooted in its own people and its foreign policy agendas are driven by mutual cooperation and mutual respect with foreign countries. We place Somali’s interest at the center of foreign agenda, while we maintain strong relationship with out friends and partners.

Therefore, ‘isku-tashi’ framework intends to fundamentally redefne Somalia’s national interest and to focus it on our internal vulnerabilities and problems. My plan is based on the what I have termed a “self-reliance” agenda throughout this document, calling for a “foreign policy [that] begins at home” and seeks to turn Somalia into a self-reliant and self-sustaining state, with an effective government which puts the interests and wellbeing of its people frst, enjoys a monopoly over the means of violence, and can run its own affairs without a reckless dependency on outsiders.

An effective and self-sustaining Somali state will thus be able to protect its unity and territorial integrity and promote regional stability and peaceful coexistence with our neighbours and the world. It will also tackle and limit the spread of international terrorism, radicalism and other forms of extremism that threaten national and regional peace, security, stability and prosperity. Somalia’s foreign policy must therefore pursue the following national objectives:

  • Protection of Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity;
  • Promotion of an effective and self-sustaining Somali state;
  • “Zero confict” with our regional neighbours;
  • Promotion of regional integration and co-operation;
  • Advancing regional and global peace and security;
  • Enhancing the reaching of Somali trade to foster economic prosperity;
  • Repairing Somalia’s image and reputation;
  • Enhancing partnership with the Somali diaspora around the world.

The guiding principles for the execution of these foreign policy objectives and the conduct of the international relations are the following:

  • The sanctity of the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia;
  • Peaceful co-existence with neighbours and other nations;
  • Resolution of conficts through dialogue and other peaceful means;
  • Respect for the equality, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states; and
  • Respect for international norms, customs and laws.

Somalia’s foreign policy will utilize all important aspects of diplomacy to further these goals, including peace diplomacy, economic diplomacy, and taking advantage of the widespread Somali diaspora around the world as goodwill ambassadors. We will also strive to reach and facilitate Somali trade for those roaming the globe to various countries.

We also recognize the fact that international support and assistance gave us the little peace and stability we enjoy.

However, the major threats to our country’s survival are our “reckless dependence” on external players for our security, recurring internal conficts, international terrorism, widespread ignorance, and extreme poverty in which a large majority of the people live in are existential threat to this nation.

Iskutashi’s frst duty is to keep its citizens safe and secure from harm. We are committed to strengthening our territorial integrity, both of offshore and onshore, at the same time mainlining a zero tension-policy with our neighboring countries. However, we also recognize that much disorder stems from a lingering sense of alienation. We will therefore act to unite all Somalis, promoting national cohesion and building a secure country for all. Our commitment to social justice will also reduce the frustration and alienation, which is so often the root of crime in our country.

 

REDEFINING SOMALIA’S INTERESTS

The Isku-tashi” framework will signifcantly redefne Somalia’s national interests and to focus on the country’s internal vulnerabilities and challenges. The plan is systematically based on the above-mentioned “self-reliance” agenda, which advances the famous theory of “Foreign Policy Begins at Home”.

It envisions a self-sustaining state with a government that puts the interest and wellbeing of its people above anything else, has monopoly over the means of violence, and can run its own affairs without a reckless dependency on outsiders.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The guiding principles of the execution of this proposed Foreign Policy objectives and the conduct of the international relations are the following:

Sanctity of unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia;

  • Peaceful co-existence with neighbors and other nations
  • Resolution of conficts through dialogue and other peaceful means
  • Respect for the equality, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states
  • Respect for international norms, customs, conventions and laws.

Somalia’s Foreign Policy will use diplomacy and enlist the support of diaspora and goodwill ambassadors. It will also strive to reach and facilitate the Somali trader who left to do business in far-off countries.

REALIZING ISKU-TASHI MANIFESTO

This manifesto is our pledge and commitment to dedicate our energies to move Somalia forward, together.

Isku-tashi puts heavy emphasis on the implementation of its agenda, and we are devoting signifcant resource and time to ensure that we stand by our commitment, promises and pledges. It sets out carefully considered agenda that is not only bold, transformative and ambitious, but can also be funded and implemented over the next four years. Executing these commitments would, however, require patience.

All levels of government will implement this manifesto and we will ensure that it is not only monitored, but public offcers remain true to the implementation timeline.

While Hon. Abdirahman Abdishakur’s government is expected to take a lead, each and every Somali, in Somalia and diaspora-private sector, civil society, women and youth-will all have a role to play in the implementation of the manifesto.

This would entail building confdence and trust amongst Somalis and persuading buy-in from all relevant stakeholders.

Isku-tashi will articulate comprehensive and deliverable action plan that would be driven by two measurable tracks: Political and technical approach. Both tracks would have separate work plan, timetable and action plan.

Isku-tashi puts heavy emphasis on the implementation of its agenda, and we are devoting signifcant resources and time to ensure that we stand by our commitment, promises and pledges.

We further pledge to:

  • Remain true to our country and its aspirations by exercising courage, service, self-sacrifce, integrity, humility, honesty and hard work.
  • Foster unity by working with our allies and all Somalis to move our country forward through the pledges and commitments set out in this manifesto.
  • Strengthen the bonds of trust and solidarity with our people and allies where these have been strained and continue to listen to and effectively engage all Somalis.

We believe the strategy we have outlined in this manifesto will put Somalia on a path to stability, unity and prosperity.

TOGETHER WE MAKE SOMALIA SELF RELIANT.

Political stability and

 

National cohesion

 

Restructuring

Security Sector

 

Revitalizing Somali’s

Economy Sector

 

Public Services, Accountability,

Combating Corruption

 

Regional stability and

International Cooperation