By Abdalle Farah Sigad

Somaliland society’s tribal identity is much more respected than a national identity. This is a cycle of thought which is very hard to break or to over come. However there are rare individuals who cross that daring line without the pleasure of seeking any advantages. And it is such individuals that Somaliland needs today.

Accordingly, I am here to propose to the opposition KULMIYE Party to nominate Abdirahmaan Aw Ali Farah as their presidential candidate for the upcoming elections. This is for the simple reason that this man belongs to those rare people I have mentioned earlier. This initiative will not only be beneficial for the nation but will most certainly enable KULMIYE party to increase their chances of winning from 0% to 50%.

Today KULMIYE Party and Somaliland as a whole, both need a democratic facelift in terms of leadership. Not that I am implying the current president has no valuable leadership, on the contrary I believe President Rayale is doing a pretty good job under the current circumstances and I will always be in favor of his Presidency. However for the sake of democracy we need to have serious contest and that can only be possible if KULMIYE Party change their current leadership.

Many cynical people will properly think I am being bias and they would say it is impossible to have two candidates from a same province since the two men (Abdirahman/Rayale) both originated from Awdal. But that should not be an excuse to prevent two candidates from Awdal or anywhere else for that matter to compete each other. Especially when we already have two men from the same clan leading the other two main Parties (KULMIYE/ UCID)

I don’t really care if KULMIYE party disappears from the face of the earth or ceases to exist but I can envisage how interesting the contest would be if these two men from Awdal Rayale/Abdirahman face each other and how democracy will flourish in Somaliland.

As a concerned citizen I believe if we let few devious politicians to hijack what is supposed to be the second largest party in our country, then maybe we don’t deserve to call ourselves a nation.

KULMIYE Party as it stands today is in disarray and the only way it can survive is if we as a nation rescue it, and tell those few selfish politicians to step a side for a different leadership and I believe we the nation have responsibility to do so.

In his recent interview with Jamhuriya Mr. Sillanyo the ageing current leader of KULMIYE Party made the following wild claims:

(Xaqiiqda haddaad doonayso oo aan been laga sheegayn dhibta kaliya ee na haystaa dibad iyo gudadaba ummaddii baa nagu soo jabtay, degaannadii baa nagu soo jabay, madaxdii ayaa nagu soo jabtay, dadkii ayaa nagu soo jabay, dhibta nahaysaana waxa weeye sidii aannu taas u kala dabbari lahayn by Siilaanyo. ) Who is he kidding?

Any group in Somaliland that wish to join forces with KULMIYE Party in its current state, clan or otherwise must be desperate bunch of people. Because watching from outside, the way KULMIYE party is being managed is depressing.

Take for example Mr. Biixi who has been mentioned few times for the last couple of weeks and described by some as a shining vice president candidate for the KULMIYE Party. Would you have trusted him to milk your goat let alone run a nation? I wouldn’t.

Looking at these men as the only alternative leaders we have to President Rayale, one may even find the rationale to suggest the revising of the constitution to allow President Rayale to run for a third term. And I say third term because there is no doubt he will quite easily win the second term, so we should think ahead in case we need him for the third term.

In conclusion, Ladies and Gentlemen; my dear noble Somaliland Citizens, I give you the next three presidential candidates: Mr. Faisal Ali Waraabe, Mr. Abdirahman Aw Ali Farah and the undisputed Somaliland peacemaker and the East Africa’s democratic champion HIS EXELENCY President Dahir Rayale Kahin.

sigad12345@yahoo.co.uk