By Adan H Iman, Los Angeles, USA

The Chairman of Kulmiye Party, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Sillanyo, recently made it clear that he did not tolerate competition for the party nomination. The first message came when he asserted in VOA interview that Dr. Ahmed Hussein Essa, his rival for the party nomination, was not one of the founders of Kulmiye implying that he (Dr.Essa) is not entitled to be the party nominee for President and that only the founding members are entitled for this position.

The second action came when Mr. Sillanyo excluded Dr. Essa, the secretary for external affairs, from the delegation that met with the visiting US Assistant Secretary of State in Hargeysa.

In responding to these actions, Dr. Essa sounded, at least for the time being, like someone far from being enraged by these provocations. He downplayed the significance of being excluded from the Kulmiye delegation stating that the chairman takes with him whoever he wants but lamented the assertion by Mr. Sillanyo that he (Dr. Essa) was a not founding member of the party, reminding people that the chairman was not a founder of the SNM but was still elected to its chairmanship!

The dilemma facing Kumiye party loyalists, as well as those of UCID, is they can not achieve success in parties that are autocratic when the political system of the nation is democratic. The fate of autocratic parties is decadence. The SNM owes its success to its democratic nature and Mr. Sillanyo was a major beneficiary of this fair process. UDUB party, at least for now, has a brighter future because the man, who founded the party, Mr. Egal, is not with us and the incumbent, Mr. Rayale, will exit politics after this election, win or lose, leaving the party to attract talent. It is obvious the two opposition parties have become properties of two men and I wonder how loyalists of those two parties can reconcile themselves to this sad reality.

It is widely believed that Dr. Ahmed Hussein Essa, if he is his party's nominee, poses the greatest challenge to Mr. Rayale and has the potential even to unseat the incumbent. He is highly educated, has no negatives, and has cross clan appeal. If the loyalists of both opposition parties acquiesce to recycle and nominate again two men who had lost in the last election, and who do not stand a good chance of winning this one, they have to understand they have only themselves to blame. They have an opportunity now to go with candidates that can win.

Somaliland needs electoral competition between parties fighting equally for votes. Such political environment creates possibility of divided government and denies one party from dominating the branches of the government; fosters public debate; encourages accountability and nurtures free press. We can not afford one dominant party that brings the sad memories of the past when the African continent lost three decades. We need reform in the two opposition parties so that they become liberated from the reigns of two men and open themselves to talent.

ahiman2@aol. com