End Of An Era To A Patriot Who Served Somalia For 50 yrs, Will The Next Speaker Fit His Shoes?

End Of An Era To A Patriot Who Served Somalia For 50 yrs, Will The Next Speaker Fit His Shoes?

By Hassan Ali Gesey

Those who know his contribution to Somalia fondly refer to him as the walking library of the Somalia constitution and law. For close to fifty years the 72 year old Mohamed Osman Jawari  served the country in many capacity as early as his college years as a law student at the Somalia National University

Jawari was  elected as the Chairman of the committee of specialists tasked with formulating Somalia’s draft constitution^ putting to use his experience as a legal expert while working alongside UN officials^ . The constitution was eventually adopted in July 2012.He had been based in Nairobi and Mogadishu working as a expert of constitution after he fled the unforgiving cold winters  of Norway where he was working as a part time teacher of Somali language.

In 2012 he became an MP and immediately friends in his circle advised him to go for the Speaker position since being from the Digil Mirifle clan he automatically qualified to contest under the 4.5 system. Sharif Hassan Adan a fellow clansman was at the time eyeing for the Presidency.

I met the grey haired law expert and now Mp at an apartment at the Mogadishu Port  for a radio interview where he opened up to me about his ambition to be the Speaker of Somalia Federal Parliament.

From our interview I gathered he had vast experience having served under different capacities in the Pre and Post civil war governments.

Around the the well set dinner table were his close friends and confidantes who encouraged him to be a candidate in the race for Speaker.

A man of humble character who loved his cup of tea we continued with our interview with a few breaks of cigarette puffs. I noticed he was a chain smoker and by the time we had finished my interview I could count three  Marlboro cigarette butts squeezed on the ashtray.

I recall I mentioned to him that a couple of my colleagues and I had opened  new radio station with the aim of serving Somalia and give the voiceless a voice in a country which was just emerging from a long civil war.

In his Guru like  face features complete with his white hair and a long goatie  Jawari leaned towards me and advised me to be patriotic to the country even as I embarked on this new mission. I observed he was a true patriot.

Upon his winning the Speaker position on 28 August 2012 I sent a text message to congratulate him. “Thank you. This country is waiting for us to rebuild it “

On 2^nd April 2013 Jawari, for close to twenty five minutes, addressed those present at the first anniversary of Radio Dalsan. I had invited him over as a guest and he did not disappoint. In his speech he encouraged the youth to take the mantle and charter the country to greater heights.

Since then we remained in touch until his second term that is from 2016 and recently in the height of the recent political tussle when he humbly said he will not be available for an interview I had earlier requested due to commitments.

Upon his confirmation of resignation after a month long political tussle with the Executive  I had a quick chat with him when we met. He had stood up in a gesture of respect to greet me at his Villa Hargeisa residence.

“I wish Somalia prosperity and you guys  are the future of this country .I am over 70 years serving this country for 50 years. Have you opened the new tv station?” he asked.

My answer was “We are almost”.

“By the way I follow your news closely” he added.

End of an era for this politician who Farmaajo last Tuesday called him a “patriot” and “statesman”  who he expected to continue to advise the government on legal matters and the constitution review.

Away from politics Jawari is known to be an adherent of the Islamic mysticism sect or Sufism and a lover of Somali culture and has never in the past been linked to Islamist groups or political parties. He would at all times wear the Sarung loincloth locally known as Maawis even in his exiled years in Norway. The traditional beans mix “ambulo” meal set at his dinner table.

photos of our first anniversary .