By Adan H Iman, Los Angeles

Even though the five-year term of the first elected parliament of Somaliland reportedly debuted with a brawl, it became clear the opposition parties have the votes, 47 out of the 82, to elect a new parliamentary leadership. So whether the votes taken on the 29th of November 2005 stand or another session is called on Saturday, the facts will remain the same: New parliament and its leadership dominated by the opposition bringing an end to an era when UDUB in effect controlled all three branches of the government.

This was momentous occasion when power at the legislative branch was to shift to the opposition parties, which between them won a majority of the seats in parliament. Heated arguments in legislative chambers are hallmark of democracy and what we saw happen in Hargeisa two days ago was no different from what we frequently see in democratic societies . It was preferable if UDUB party members handled the situation in a dignified manner by staying on the chambers and cast their votes win or lose. Voters in Somaliland will not look favorably at a party whose members of parliament run out of the chambers when they sense they are going to lose a roll call.

It is not wishful thinking to say that a new era has dawned for the people of Somaliland . For the first time public policy will be based, not on the whims of one individual, but on the interplay of two institutions whose responsibilities were designed in the constitution to check and balance each other.

Now that for the first time the opposition has seats at the table of power, we will see how the new political reality affects Somaliland ’s domestic policies and international relations. We will see how the competition between the two branches of government for the goodwill of the voters will affect the lives of the ordinary Somalilander: whether or not there will be more protection of civil liberties, administration of justice, management of public resources, funding for schools, better sanitary condition and health care and a host of other domestic issues as well as the quest for international recognition.