Bill Ainashe, Washington, DC

It’s amazing to see what a desperate old politician is capable of doing. Does this man, Axmed Mohmud "Sillanyo", really know the subtle political ramifications of his misguided actions? By rejecting the decision of the highest court in the land and the collective will of the people of Somaliland, he is destroying the political stability in the country which tens of thousands of Somalilanders sacrificed their lives to achieve. He is knowingly igniting a political inferno that could take years to extinguish. Being on the edge, it would have been understandable if he finally realized that the only option open for him was retiring from politics. But if he is committing political suicide, as he seems to be doing now, is it morally right for him to take the whole country with him into the grave? Is he really saying that if I cannot be your president then I will do everything within my power to destroy you? Didn’t we hear that before?

In his recent political campaigns, Mr. Sillanyo claimed to have the interest of the Somali people at heart and that he will do everything that best serves the interest of our country and our people. As it turned out, that was nothing but an empty political ploy designed for the sole purpose of tricking people to vote for him. I am sure many people in Somaliland are now happy to see his true face. They have at last realized what a sore loser he is.

Mr. Sillanyo has been in active politics for over four decades, unfortunately, there is nothing on his record other than failure. And if you look closely at his resume, which is on his party’s official website, you will see a chronologically arranged list of all the places and ministries he worked, but you will not be able to find a single item showing anything significant that he ever achieved politically or otherwise. Indeed his political activities over those entire years can be summarized as disappointing and a personal tragedy for him.

It is customary in the current Somali political discourse that if you are against one of the opposing parties you are by default supporting the other. I hate to make disappointing remarks and kill someone’s enthusiasm but I do not believe that Mr. Rayale will be a better president either. However, it is imperative to point out the fact that the embryonic political, and judiciary system that is currently in place in Somaliland accommodated the democratic will of the people in a fairly transparent manner. Needless to say, neither I nor anyone else can say with certainty that the election was fair, flawless and that Mr. Rayale got a clear mandate to lead the country for the next five.

If Mr. Sillanyo’s political objective was to help Somaliland to achieve better future with a stable political system, economic prosperity and a fairly good chance for diplomatic recognition by the international community, then he should accept an honorable defeat and retire from active politics as soon as he possibly can. He has played his entire stock of cards and has nothing more positive to contribute politically or otherwise. The country and people of Somaliland will undoubtedly be better off without him in the political scene.

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