A dialogue with a cat Kulmiye’s Rule; an assessment

By

Dr. Omar Ibrahim Hussein

 

I had a good conversation with a cat before the national elections. It was an exciting period where the fever of change was sweeping Hargeisa.  A period of euphoria with high expectations, “Even if you rape me; I am Kulmiye” was the buzz word then. The deserving Mujahid at last has ascended the throne that eluded him for so long and Somaliland is in good hands…a member of the good hands people.

Two years has passed and I am in an exciting mood to see the change that we all longed for. While I was pondering of that, the same cat unexpectedly popped into my office and said, “Remember we had a dialogue before the election and I thought we can have the same again after two years of Kulmiye rule”.

“What do you have in mind cat”?

 

“I am not here to ask you for a fish; only to talk to you. We were proud like you that the change has come without violence and in a civilized manner akin to what is said they do in the West. We were let to believe everybody including cats will have a plate full of fish three times a day. We also expected there will be justice for all including cats”, said the cat.

“What did the coffee shop parliament say about the Government performance since the takeover”?

“Given the limited time span… that is a tall order. But look at the land marks that were completed in a very short time. The bridge that became as famous as the London Bridge has been completed. Secondly the Presidential Palace has been completely renovated and stonewalled. Some cats overheard that the cost of the renovations was about 400 thousand dollars”, said the cat.

“But 400 thousand is too much for a renovation at a time famine and droughts are threatening the very existence of the country”.

 

“Cats in Xaraf Hotel once overheard the opposition leader then, Mr. Silanyo refuse mediators to meet the President Rayale in the Presidential Palace claiming that the Palace was invested with magic tree (Geed) spell. For that reason the rooms have been redesigned to avoid any possible trace of the magic-tree before he moves in. 30 strong Sheikhs recited the Holly Quran for thirty days in all the rooms in an effort to flush out the magic tree spell. But they say from the frying pan to the fire is no solution either, as his Vice President hails from the same magic tree area and may have already used the magic tree spell to be elected as a running mate. Abdirahman aw Ali top Mujahid, comrade and ex-Vice President, and professor Ismail Mumin top educationalist were beaten by Zaylici as Silanyo’s running mate. That cannot be easily explained. Some say clan preference may have played a part in the choice. But that is not true because the three hail from the same clan. But Abdirahman and Ismail don’t hail from the magic tree spell area. The Vice President went on strike at one time, may be out of frustration because Hersi became a wedge between him and the President. The magic spell tree works only in close proximity. Hersi foiled that necessary proximity to make the magic spell work more effectively. We don’t believe in the magic tree, but how do you explain an NSS officer was elected as Vice President and later a President by beating Silanyo in a fair election. How do you explain that Zaylici’s first public office is the Vice Presidency. The two have one thing in common; they come from the same area. Definitely something else must be at work. Mr. Silanyo was known as the most indomitable and the roaring lion of Somaliland; not anymore. Zaylici’s magic tree spell must be at work. Something very mysterious must have tamed the indomitable lion of Somaliland. Look also what happened to Kulmiye Party top echelons who opposed Rayale vehemently and unfairly; such as Bihi, Kahin, Iskerso, Talyanle, Adirahman Abdulkadir; and others, they fell like a deck of cards; all politically dead. The only political survivor of Rayale’ rage is Gabose who ultimately repented and later praised Rayale’s reign. Rayale’s biggest curse fell on those who were close to him, but violently revolted against him like Abiib Timacade (ignominiously imprisoned); General Nuh, colonel Cilmi Kabaal, Mohamed Hashi and Ismail Mumin (dishonorably sacked) by the man they served and revolted for him. Can anybody explain why all the Vices come from the West and not from the East? This must be a magic tree spell inspired choice not a rational one. Based on those facts, then cleansing the Palace from the magic tree spell at any cost ($400 thousand) and keeping an arm’s length with the Vice President makes sense.

 

The ubiquitous scissor and the ribbon cutting activities of Saylici are indicative of a rising star and it is an appropriate exposure of a potential presidential aspirant. Only two things he has to do; rise above local politics and not to repeat the same mistake when he publicly said, “Ali Hamud; (a cousin) told me that some food aid was diverted and I sent my advisor and the Governor of Maroodijeeh to investigate. But unfortunately they themselves diverted the food aid along with another intruder. We sacked all three and put them in prison”. That is not a Vice President’s job to say in our system of government, the teashop parliament’s said.

However the teashop debates in Hargeisa give high marks on the Presidential Palace renovation. After all, the President is being protected and logically cost should not be a barrier. A good Presidential Palace will help the long sought recognition of Somaliland as he lives like a President in a Presidential Palace.

Foreign policy is by far the greatest achievement in the history of Somaliland. Somaliland has a sense of direction now for the first time, the beaming Foreign Minister might rightly say”, said the Cat.

“All this says; the euphoria should continue”.

 

Appointing Ministers who were not up-to expectation followed by the dismissal of all director generals of all Ministries and Parastatal institutions, amounted to a complete institutional memory loss. People are very familiar with “made in china” and now they have to put up with ‘Siilaanyo made’. The Presidential nomination required one essential qualification; an anti Rayale stand during the UDUP reign. Those appointees found public responsibility is not a laughing matter or an insulting matter. The President also made a cardinal mistake by breaking away from his Party to form the government, by opting to hitherto unknown secret admirers. Thus “Iskufilan, Self sufficient or “self annihilation” was coined to describe the not so secret dissent of the Kulmiye Party elite who were left in the cold.

“The Ministry of Finance said that it inherited an “empty treasury”. I did not understand that as a cat; how can the treasury be empty”? said the cat.

“To the best of my knowledge most treasuries are not only empty but full of debt payable in foreign currencies. We had no foreign debt and very little domestic debt which should not interfere with the regular performance of the government. It is said a Manager of a big successful company have retired after a long meritorious service. In his handover to his successor the incoming manager asked the retiring manager how he could make the company as successful as he did. The retiring Manager said, “I wrote my advice and I put it in this envelope. Put it in the drawer and don’t read it until you are unable to run the company”. Soon after; the new Manager found out that he can’t run the company and hurriedly opened the letter and read it. To his surprise the advice only said “if you can’t run the company; blame it on the previous administration”. Maybe Minister Awil left a similar note and Minister Hashi found out successfully running the Ministry of Finance was easier said than done.

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