Harowo Editorial: Visceral Opposition in Somaliland

For most people the word opposition means a political party opposing a party in power and prepared to replace it if elected, but the word can have several different meanings. It could mean the act of opposing or resisting, the condition of being in conflict; antagonism and many others. If for the sake of an argument an Udub supporter opposes what president Rayale’s administration is doing, he/she is not a member of the opposition.                         

On the other hand if a supporter of the Kulmiye political party agrees with President Rayale, he/she is still a member of the opposition. The honorable tradition of taking exemption to government’s actions or inaction for that matter hasn’t taken root yet in Somaliland’s young democracy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

In Somaliland toady there is a growing confusion of who is opposing what. There is a large group of bright well meaning people in Somaliland and in the Diaspora that profess only vague generalized opposition and loathing of president Rayale and his government, thus making it very difficult to judge what it is they exactly oppose so it can be corrected if possible. When pressed for more information they offer only the most trite and banal expressions of their values and beliefs. Their lack of candor demonstrates they don’t have a viable alternative ideas, political programs or strategies for correcting their perceived inadequacies of the current government.            

Instead of proposing specific practical solutions to Somaliland’s myriad problems, they prefer to engage only on controversial and polemical arguments. This type of opposition is unwise and unreasonable; it refuses to acknowledge facts on the ground, engaging only on stereotypical criticism of the government.

Take the case of Mohamed Kahin’s recent intense emotional outburst laced with anemic threats against President Dahir Rayale, it is not something that can easily be ignored; this time it is more than just his usual trademark vitriol, he is showing the dark side of many of the leading Kulmiye party hacks who are increasingly becoming frustrated as their deceptive smear campaign against this popular president appears not to be working. It is a clear sign of desperation by a group of clueless xenophobes who have exhausted all other options except to play their ethnic card. The concept of a loyal  opposition stipulates “one can be opposed to the actions of the government of the day without being opposed to the constitution of the political system.” Fortunately the vast majority of opposition politicians in Somaliland fit this description of a loyal opposition, it is only a handful of demagogues like Mr. Kahin who stray away from the norm.

In politics one can identify clearly two types of opposition:

1. Idea opposition  
2. Visceral opposition

An opposition based on ideas is a conflict on viewpoints, of how something should be done. This opposition is really a good thing in that it gives us creative energy through the introduction new ideas, information, experience and feelings. In other words both sides have a common understanding of a frame of reference that establishes the rules of the game. If everyone puts their ideas in the market place, eventually the better ones will win.

A more sinister form of opposition is visceral or emotional Opposition. This kind of opposition disagrees both with your point of view and with you as a human being. The environment created by a visceral opponent is one of high stress, judgments on both sides; mistrust, accusations, name-calling and scorekeeping. This negative energy is not where creativity lives. Much of what passes for opposition in Somaliland today falls into the second category.

Because visceral opponents are emotional it is extremely difficult to win them over. The sharing of facts, ideas, information, and logic are of little help in debating with them. Hurt feelings and damaged pride block them from reconciling relationships. Once you make a visceral opponent they stay with you for a long time.

Many in the opposition in Somaliland believe that if they can only change the perception of the public towards the Somaliland government, they can take over the reigns of power and get what they have lost at the ballot box. It is a very powerful albeit seductive message. They are constantly in search of short cuts to power, but they will not succeed.