Live Stock Deputy Minister Resigns From Rayale’s Government

Hargeysa, August 25, 2007 (SL Times) – Somaliland Deputy Minister for Livestock and Veterinary Affairs, Mr Adan Jama Hori, announced in a press conference held in Mansoor hotel, in Hargeisa, on Thursday, that he had submitted his letter of resignation to President Dahir Rayale Kahin. Mr Hori said that his decision to resign from Rayale's government was due to "the government's constant disregard of the well being of the country and its people who have suffered great hardships and struggles in building Somaliland from nothing, to where it is today".

Adan Jama Hori has been a deputy minister since Dahir Rayale was elected president in 2003 and has been an outspoken critic within Rayale's administration. He is also from the president's home region, Awdal.

The former deputy minister stated that "the government has miserably failed its people, and the president is out of touch, and seems more interested in amassing personal wealth than tackling the crippling lack of public services and the dire problems facing the country".

Mr Hori continued, "On many occasions, I raised these concerns with the president in our weekly council of ministers meetings. Unfortunately, I was reprimanded by the majority of my ministerial colleagues for raising such issues in the cabinet meetings chaired by the president."

Adan Hori stressed that, "It was only, this month (6 August), that I presented to the council of ministers a motion for the president to accept the national budget amendments passed by parliament, and to compromise as much as possible with parliament for the sake of the country".

The former deputy Livestock minister was asked “when did you take the decision to resign from your post?” He answered, "Many were the times when I gave serious thought to resigning from my position as a minister, but the final straw which broke the camel's back, was when I suggested to the government to cease pushing for the reinstatement of the two rejected election commission nominees and to accept the national budget which was amended by parliament, and instead of my views being appreciated I was treated as an enemy by the government. That was when I decided to resign because I could no longer work effectively within such a government.”

The former minister of Livestock was asked whether the main reason for his departure from Rayale's government has to do with his clan's recent condemnation of the government's harsh treatment of Qaran leaders which was made clear in his clan's press statement, which said that `they cannot allow and continue to support and endorse a government which is becoming more and more like a dictatorial regime, not different than that of Siyad Barre?’

The former deputy minister replied, "in reality, wherever my clan decides to trek to and go, I cannot lag behind or trek on another path, I have to go where my clan thinks its interests and that of the country as whole lies. Since today my clan has made the decision not to support Rayale and his party any longer, and have mass migrated to Kulmiye, I, too, have no option but to put my loyalty with Kulmiye. Yes, as of today, I am for Kulmiye".

Source: Somaliland Times

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