Under the new rule civil servants running for parliament were forced to resign from their position rather than take the usual leave of absence as was the case in the past. Under this rule the regime intended to frighten talented civil servants unhappy with the destruction of the merit-based system into thinking twice before challeng- ing prevailing political order. Hussen proposed several amendments to the bill, knowing that his suggestions had no chance of passing, but parliament adopted the new law.

Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, loc. 1005