Dialogue between Silanyo and Rayale:

By

Omar Ibrahim Hussein

President Silanyo; the current President and Ex-president Mr. Rayale were avid political enemies but some sort of rapprochement between them has taken place. When Mr. Silanyo was an opposition leader he opposed the government chapter and verse. Now that the shoe is in the other foot, Silanyo sees opposition to his rule as misguided and affront to democracy. A recent meeting between the two has taken place; let us gauge what could be in the talk between the two Presidents:

Silanyo:

Thank you very much for accepting my call. In our first meeting I sent Minister Awil to bring you here, for I knew Awil has a way with you. It is a high time our cooperation took an official course and thanks to you for removing the threat of UDUB Party from me. I see UDUB as politically dead.

Rayale:

It is my pleasure too Mr. President. By the way no finger pointing here, you have your Awil too; he has a different name though. You call him Hersi. In relation to UDUB, I tell you in all honesty that it is much stronger than it ever was. Even if some irreparable damage is done, it is Ahmed Yasin’s fault and the ever menacing Election Commission. Therefore give your thanks to where it belongs.

Silanyo:

Haa…Haa… Haa; you get me there. But remember Awil was loaded, he had all the cash of the country at the time, but Hersi is only doing the donkey work for me. Now that I put the past behind me for good and my wounds have sufficiently healed; I am more than willing to deal with you as an ex-president. You must appreciate I have to put up with Awil; my lifelong enemy only to get to you. I like to deal with you directly without Awil being in my throat, if possible.

Rayale:

For your information I and Mr. Hersi first met and made up our differences, and only then it was possible to meet with you Mr. President. On the other hand, may I remind you, I am a genuine President elected like you in a fair and a free election. You are not alluding that you are giving me a concession to accept me as an Ex-President.

Silanyo:

I really do, because I have never accepted you as an elected President. The result of that election was doctored. 80 votes hiding in a mysterious place were allegedly found after we have already celebrated victory which they said was not counted before. That was what was wrong with that election. A Faqash beating top Mujahid was lopsided, and the smallness of the margin supported my stand.

Rayale:

But in sheer contrast, I accepted the result of the last election even before the results were out. I don’t see any sense in taking part in an election if the loser is not willing to accept the result. That is what democracy is all about. I agree my margin of victory was much smaller than yours, but you can’t possibly declare victory and say 80 persons do not exist. On the other hand, I beat you and Egal beat both Abdirahman Tuur and Sulayman Gaal in a fair and free election. A Mujahid has no track record of winning elections here in Somaliland.

Silanyo:

Even if and only if those 80 votes were genuine, 80 votes in an election amount to nothing. My victory of course was a landslide and there was no chance of contesting it. You were not magnanimous by transferring power, but you were right. I also left no doubt in your mind that you can’t take my presidency a second time. Won’t you say a Faqash has been beaten this time fair and square? Yes you do.

Rayale:

Kill 80 people to level with me to see whether it is an insignificant number or a massacre. Many people including me see landslide victories with suspicion and smaller margins with credibility. Landslide victories smell foul and the last victory will not be an exception. There was every reason to contest it, but I preferred not to. Let us see that as part of our history, and let us leave it there. What can I do for you today? What is the purpose of our meeting?

Silanyo:

My intention is not to over burden you in anyway. But want people to see you with me. You are photogenic too, but don’t you overshadow me. I want to be seen as a consensus man who crosses the party divide line for the sake of the country. I am determined to thoroughly implement my promise… the Kulmiye platform. Remember, like you, I have a second chance to run for a President.

Rayale:

But Mr. President I had the impression that you are not prepared to run for another term may be due to health and age concerns. An agreement with Kulmiye Party is also cited.

Silanyo:

I have never said anywhere anytime that I will not run for a second time. Do you think I will make all my cabinet Ministers members of the Central Committee of my Party for someone else? If someone thinks, I am cooking somebody else’s dish, they just don’t know me. I am also the legitimate chairman of the Party and so far I have never met a challenge to my leadership. If you mean Musa Behi, you know he was a member of the Red Flag (Callan Cas) and I used him only to fight the threat of the Red Flag group. The Red Flag has been raised against the Group before me and I have no reason to let it go now. The Red Flag guys wanted to come back from the back door by establishing UHDIS to stab me from the back. Nobody teaches new tricks to an old fox, I saw the threat and I just raised the Red Flag.

 Rayale:

The rumor that is awash everywhere says you are grooming Samale not Bihi for the candidacy of Kulmiye Party in the presidential election. Is that true?

Silanyo:

That is absolutely false. Samale is a good friend of mine and he can’t conspire behind my back. I gave him the biggest portfolio in my government. I know him personally because he is the last person to see me before I retire to bed every night. He is in a very vulnerable position though, if I trash him, he will be finished. He put all his eggs in my basket by leaving his solid position in parliament. I allured him to a position that depends upon my moods and whims. There is no love lost between politicians. Friendship between politicians is nothing more than a marriage of convenience. Take Abiib Timacade as an example. I made him my political advisor; I put him in jail; then I made him a Minister. I know from experience this action creates loyalty and obedience. Now we will just signal our demand from the Palace and Timacade will be more than willing to oblige. Dismissing person known to have relations with us, as Bobe did is Silanyo diid (anti Silanyo) and if I don’t react appropriately, their next target will be the Chair (Presidency). Nip it at the bud, as they say, so that other Ministers may not catch the Bobe flu.

Rayale:

Samale was my enemy number one, and we called him ‘Jano Ka Bood’ (bounced from Paradise). He bounced from being a good God fearing Sheikh to a Machiavellian politician. He bounced again from being a formidable Legislator to the earthly paradise…. the Finance Ministry (rumored bought a house with $75,000). I hope he will not bounce to a higher paradise again… the Presidency. How did you break the back of the parliament that was in my throat for eight years? Egal did not fare better than me; as he survived an impeachment by one vote. It looks to me you have a way with the legislators.

Silanyo:

Being in government for more than 40 years, I learned all the tricks, and weaknesses of people. Allure them with power and terrify them with impressment. The way I dismissed Minister Bobe is akin to the way Siyad Bare dismissed me. Now I know he was right then and I am right now. The golden rule is, do not challenge the authority of a President by attacking the people around him. Reasonable politicians know that the President is part of a greater family and not an individual. Bobe should have known better than that.  In relation to legislators, remember the childhood story of a man with 5 wives and they wanted to know who he likes most. He told them to stand in a line, close their eyes with their backs to him and he will touch the one he likes most, but on condition the one he touches should not tell others. A deal was done and he touched all the five and each thought she was the only darling. Mr. Ex-President real life is not much different than this short story and that might be the secret of my success over the legislators. Of course I did not touch their backs, and their eyes were not closed, but I did touch their wallets. Mr. Ex-president you governed before you learned the art of governing. That is where experience matter.  In relation to Samale, if he tries to bounce to the Presidency, I assure you he will bounce only to hell and to a bottomless ditch.