Osman defined the presidency as a symbol of national unity above party or clan

Evidence

The character of the President of the Republic, let me say, friends and brothers, must be—as it is decreed by the Constitution—the symbol of national unity, not because it is I who occupy this position today, but because it is according to a fundamental law; and, therefore, it must not be confused with a Political Party or Parties or, even less, with an ethnic group or groups. … The Somali Nation, by making itself a democratic and parliamentary Republic, has given itself one of the best and most liberal constitutions, a fact to which high personalities of the United Nations and of the world have testified. But it is my modest opinion that only you, citizens, can strengthen democracy; in fact democracy does not mean anarchy but the power invested in the people in accordance with order and based on the laws. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 519

Categorization

• DEFINE: Osman’s inaugural definition of democracy as ordered popular power rather than anarchy is a useful primary-source framing.