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Abdillahi Daud, Minneapolis, MN (USA)
When the Supreme Court delivered the election victory to UDUB by upholding the decision of the Election Commission, most of the people did not know what to expect from the main opposition party, Kulmiye. Many people feared that Kulmiye would form its own government and thereby destabilize the law and order. Fresh in people’s minds was the way Abdurahman Tur behaved after losing the election to Egal exactly ten years ago. In other words, some people considered Silanyo just another politician who would put his personal interest above that of Somaliland. By finally accepting the decision of the court, however, Ahmed Silanyo proved beyond doubt that he is indeed a statesman that deserves to be entrusted to the leadership of this country.
Election disputes have had led to civil wars in many Third World Countries including our own Somaliland. After losing his re-election bid in 1993, Abdirahman Tur could have done a favor to his nation by conceding defeat even if that meant accepting injustice. Instead, the Somaliland’s first president irresponsibly chose to ignite the senseless civil war of 1994-96. The peace loving people of Somaliland rejected his self-serving policy and that blunder marked the end of his political career. This is the best way to punish a selfish politician.
This time around, however, we are blessed to have Ahmed Silanyo at the helm of Kulmiye. There is no doubt that Kulmiye has the capability to destabilize the UDUB-led government. Nevertheless, Ahmed Silanyo finally chose to accept the decision of the court despite the tremendous pressure from party hard-liners that did not want to give up the fight. He has shown his strong leadership by successfully controlling the fanatics within his party. He is indeed a statesman who deserves the respect of all Somalilanders regardless of their political orientation. The next time he comes for our vote, we should acknowledge his good behavior by voting him to power. This is the best way to reward a responsible politician. In the meantime, we must not hesitate to tell Sillanyo how much his leadership and devotion to Somaliland’s cause is admired.
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