Respect elders’ choice on candidates, says Udgoon

Garissa woman representative aspirant Udgoon Siyad has asked those not picked by the Awdhaq council of elders for various seats to stop criticising the elders.

Udgoon has instead urged them to support the chosen candidates. 

She said it was wrong for a few individuals to discredit the entire exercise because they were not considered.

The aspirant spoke on Sunday in Garissa during her homecoming party, days after she was picked by the elders as the only candidate for the clan, for the woman representative seat.

On Tuesday last week, the Garissa Awdhaq council of elders led by Sultan Dekhow Sambul endorsed several candidates for different seats.

Those picked were Abdikarim Osman current MP (Fafi) Lands executive Issa Yarrow (Balambala) and Udgoon Siyad (woman representative aspirant).

Among those left out were Anab Gure current Garissa woman representative, Salah Yakub (Fafi), Abdikadir Aden, Ismail Arale, Yarrow Aress (Balambala), Farhiya Muse (woman representative aspirant) and Dekhow Mohamed (governor aspirant)

The council is made up of Rer Harun, Rer Musa, Rer Gulleid, Aden Gerry, Rer Yahya, Rer Kassim and Rer Mahat subclans.

Udgoon is from the Rer Harun subclan.

She said while it was difficult to satisfy everyone,  negotiated democracy has always worked and served them well, it had united them.

Negotiated democracy in Garissa is a traditional mechanism of nominating political leaders in Northeastern.

However, it is under scrutiny with the latest clan endorsements drawing mixed reactions.

The proponents and supporters 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.

“We took our applications to the council to be considered for different seats and they came up with their list after considering among other things subclan dynamics,” Udgoon said

“Therefore, let's respect the decision made and rally behind chosen candidates.” 

The aspirant said even those who are now on the forefront criticising and poking holes in the process have benefitted before.

She called on residents to unite and rally behind the council’s choice of candidates.

Udgoon said any form of division will work against them.

Anab Gure, Saturday, thrashed the council of elders decision to drop her in favour of another candidate.

Speaking in Fafi subcounty, Gure who comes from the Rer Harun subclan was a beneficiary of the negotiated democracy in 2017.

Gure said she will clinch the Fafi parliamentary seat next year.

Critics have accused her of being hypocritic, self-seeking and out to divide the community by only supporting the process when it favoured her.

However, she said it was her democratic right to contest for any seat without seeking approval from anybody.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris