GAROWE ONLINE EDITORIAL | Mr. Prime Minister, your job is to help resurrect a dead nation-state, not a dying one.

When Prof. Ali Mohamed Gedi was appointed as the first Prime Minister of Somalia's UN-recognized Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Nov. 2004, most Somalis did not know of him and he was welcomed as an academic, with a clean personal history, and a man who could help usher in a new era of stability and governance for war-ravaged Somalia.

Yet by the time of Gedi's resignation, he had become a household name in Somali homes and was famous for stealing funds donated by the international community to help Somalia.

The point here is not to be critical of Mr. Gedi's term as the TFG's longest-serving Prime Minister to date. Rather, the point is that the Somali people, who are dying for genuine leadership, must not allow themselves to raise hopes to an unrealistic ceiling one day only to face tremendous disappointments and setbacks later.

Here at Garowe Online, we say: "Welcome Mr. Prime Minister, but be heedful of history."

Indeed, PM-appointee Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed comes to power at a time of great turmoil in Somalia. The political instability, combined with Africa's worst humanitarian crisis, sets the stage for a play of heart-wrenching tragedy. It is not only the lives of humans at stake here, but even the common destiny of the Somali people.

Mr. Prime Minister, the people of Somalia have not lost all hope. They are expectant that the right leader will rise up, unite the people, urge forgiveness and reconciliation, and rebuild the foundations of a government. Mr. Prime Minister, that man could be you.

Often, it is much easier to be critical than to find genuine recommendations to help correct someone or some institution. Below are our recommendations for the incoming Prime Minister, who has to steer the TFG until its mandate expires in August 2011:

• Appoint a small Cabinet (a maximum of 18 Ministerial portfolios) consisting of well-qualified candidates and strictly avoid controversial figures;
• Empower the TFG security forces and civil servants by providing consistent salary and moral support;
• Seek public support (religious scholars, business leaders, civil society, traditional elders etc.) in the war against insurgents, who seek death and destruction only;
• Ensure the completion and safe passage of the Draft Federal Constitution as the only national constitution for Somalia and as a way of advancing the TFG from transitional phase to the legitimate national authority of Somalia;
• Call for and support social reconciliation programs at local levels (in the beginning); the success of extremist groups like Al Shabaab depends in part on their use of one grieving one clan against another clan, so help prevent this by seeking genuine reconciliation among local communities;
• Prepare and publish a concise political document detailing the general direction of your administration in the coming months, which clearly stipulates your administration's position on key issues such as: national security; federalism; power- and resource-sharing; TFG election; the development of future federal states; relations with neighboring countries and international relations; media rights and civil society; etc.
• Spend time and resources on spreading the message of federalism; Somalia has 30 years of centralism experience and history that we can learn from, so advance federalism as the only way for each Somali to help his own community while sharing common interests and responsibilities;
• Allow new states to form only as approved by the Federal Constitution; the myriad of new states in south-central Somalia with no constituency or clear political agenda is a ploy explicitly designed to confuse and discourage the Somali people from understanding federalism;
• Spend every minute to prepare Somalia for a new election at the end of the TFG mandate in August 2011 as the best way of avoiding future political disputes, which will only extend the collective suffering of the Somali people.

Mr. Prime Minister, man can only leave history and legacy behind on this earth when he dies. No man will advance to the next world (Hereafter) with his family or wealth intact. Leave behind a memorable legacy for the coming generations to remember you and your conduct. Do not fall prey to the propaganda and the interest groups, who seek short-term gain at the expense of all Somalis.

Mr. Prime Minister, your job is to help resurrect a dead nation-state, not a dying one. Nowadays, Somali politics is at the intersection where clan interests coincide with foreign interference. And always remember: neither the interests of clan nor of a foreign government is truly the interest of Somalia and the Somali people.

Listen to your constituents, observe your surroundings, scrutinize all ideas and advice, and most importantly, always be cautious and righteous. If you do that, Allah Almighty will make your job a lot easier.

Finally, let us pray that, several years from now, when your name becomes a Somali household name, that it is pronounced with pride, hope and satisfaction.