In his speech at a ceremony for Puntland political associations, Dr Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas, the former Puntland President, made remarks about democracy.
Gaas said that, contrary to what many people believe, democracy may not improve their lot in life. By this characterisation Gaas implies that democracy has no intrinsic values such as political equality, supremacy of the rule of law and independence of the judiciary. His definition of democracy as a system in which the majority rules while the rights of minorities are protected is hardly applicable to a society whose political class prizes identity politics.
Gaas said that there “is a type of democracy that grants citizens the right to conduct economic activities freely under conditions of limited freedoms.” Gaas did not mention which country practises this brand of democracy.
The democratic theory of the former economics professor and Prime Minister (2011-2012) challenges arguments the Economics Nobel Laureate and the late economist, Milton Friedman, expounded in Capitalism and Freedom. “History only suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom. Clearly it is not a sufficient condition” wrote Milton Friedman.
By his definition of democracy Dr Gaas threw his weight behind state capitalism where curtailing civil liberties is not the choice made by citizens but by the ruling clique. In democracies ideas matter more than identity politics does. A political party campaigns on a political programme to appeal to all citizens.
In the case of Puntland State a political association that campaigns for voting rights for all stands a better chance to win the presidency. Gaas offered a bit of advice to people whose democratic hopes get dashed: accept your fate.
His advice proffered in the presence of Puntland political class members was tempered by reservations of political associations that pointed out the futility of conducting pilot local government elections only in three designated districts in Puntland.
Siyad Ali Jama, is a political commentator.
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