The Public Service Commission insulated promotions from political favor, frustrating educated newcomers.

Evidence

A third major effort the government made that was central to its attempts to institutionalize division of labor and powers and to protect public servants from meddling by political leaders was embedded in the authority of the Public Service Commission. The establishment of the commission created new dynamics in the service by systematically, regularly evaluating government employees, creating transparent and predictable procedures for recruitment, promotion, demotions, and dismissals. Slowly, the insulation of this process from political manipulation became apparent. Ironically, many young educated Somalis who had earlier assumed that they would quickly rise to the top of the civil service because of their education began to feel that the new government would require from them not only qualifications but also experience and performance for promotions. The case of Abdirahman Nur Hersi was an instantiation of inflated expectations and subsequent disappointments. Hersi had recently graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in economics. Hussen was approached soon after he was appointed prime minister and asked to replace the Italian governor of the Somali Central Bank with Hersi, who held a midlevel position at the bank. The prime minister rejected this request, and Hersi, one of the young educated men the prime minister had earlier challenged to identify a cabinet that would gain approval from parliament, was dismayed by Hussen’s stance. There were many similar instances across the bureaucracy. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 835

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the appointment/credential debate where Hussen challenged young educated Somalis to name a workable cabinet — earlier in the book.