•However, its critics say it is sanitised system of impunity, with no foundation democratic ethos or ideological framework.
•On Tuesday, the Garissa Awdhaq council of elders led by Sultan Dekhow Sambul endorsed several candidates for seats within the county.
Negotiated democracy in Garissa is under scrutiny with the latest clan endorsements drawing mixed reactions.
It is a traditional mechanism of nominating political leaders in Northeastern.
The proponents and supporters of negotiated democracy term it a pragmatic association of local interests and maintaining stability among communities.
However, its critics say it is a sanitised system of impunity, with no foundational democratic ethos or ideological framework.
On Tuesday, the Garissa Awdhaq council of elders led by Sultan Dekhow Sambul endorsed several candidates for seats within the county.
The endorsements come barely a month after a similar endorsement where elders picked Governor Ali Korane to be the community’s flag bearer in the 2022 election.
Those picked were Abdikarim Osman (Fafi) Issa Yarrow (Balambala), Siyat Osman (Garissa township) and Udgoon Siyad (women representative).
Others were Anab Gure and Salah Yakub who had shown interest in the Fafi parliamentary seat.
In 2017, Omar Shurie was endorsed by the Awdhaq elders to contest for the Balambala seat which he won.
However, this time, the elders picked Issa Yarrow.
The council of elders is made up of Rer Harun, Rer Musa, Rer Gulleid, Aden Gerry, Rer Yahya, Rer Kassim and Rer Mahat subclans.
Former Northeastern regional commissioner Mohamed Saleh said negotiated democracy was a way of uniting communities and making them equal in sharing leadership slots until some elders messed it up.
“Negotiated democracy was a noble and fair concept before the elders got deeply entangled in corruption and self-serving vested interest,” Saleh said.
Former Balambala MP Abdikadir Omar Aden and serving at EALA, was 2013 endorsed by elders and won.
However, in 2017, he defied the clans' call no to contest which he did but lost to Omar Shurie.
Omar has promised to be on the ballot next year for the Balambala seat.
He blamed clan politics which he said has been the root cause of poor leadership.
“While the rest of the communities are putting their best foot forward by allowing fair competition, the Somali community has become synonymous with dictated politics and clan interests,” Omar said.
“To the people of Balambala, we have seen the effects of clan politics from what happened in 2017. Yesterday’s decision will not stop me from contesting for the seat.”
Khatra Iman who had sought the clans’ blessings to contest for the women representative seat vowed to continue contesting.
“I respect the decision of the council regarding their pronouncement. I will contest the Garissa women representative seat. The decision was biased, unfair and null and void,” she said.
Two weeks ago, Garissa Township MP Aden Duale said he has no time for clan endorsement in Northeastern.
He said his constituency was cosmopolitan and the electorate will decide who becomes MP.
Duale who comes from the Awdhaq clan said the over 50,000 voters in Garissa Township will elect their MP and not a few clan elders.
“I will not be going to the elders and being carried shoulder-high by a few after some purported endorsement. I will go straight to the electorate and present my scorecard, which will determine whether they will vote me back or not,” he said.
The MP said Garissa people elected him thrice because they had confidence in him.
“Going to look for endorsement from a few elders will be a let down to the people,” he said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris