This was the case when Silanyo recently reshuffled his nothing ministers with more nothing ministers.
In 2010 Silanyo promised lean effective regional government but after so many cracks and the truth finally hitting him hard, he crawled back into a small cell and expanded the cabinet even further. He added 12 new people... in one go.
http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/ ... feature-01
If you ask me its the beginning of a disastrous and irreversible chapter.Somaliland regional President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo's decision to re-shuffle his cabinet and increase its size will strain limited economic resources unnecessarily and change little in the region, political analysts and opposition leaders say.
On June 25th, Silanyo announced the most sweeping change to his cabinet since coming to power in 2010, dismissing seven members, moving others and increasing the number of cabinet members from 33 to 45.
Silanyo dismissed Interior Minister Mohamed Nur Arraleh, Health Minister Hussein Muhumed Mohamed, Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Abdullahi Jama Geljire, Industry Minister Abdirizak Ali Osman, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Ali Elmi Gheleh, Deputy Minister of Commerce Aden Diriye Egal, and Deputy Minister of Education Ali Hamud Jibril.
He named former Deputy Joint Special Representative for Operations and Management in the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) Mohamed Bihi Yonis to be the administration's new minister of foreign affairs and international co-operation, and Waddani opposition party member Ali Mohamed Waranadde as the new minister of internal affairs.
Other new appointments included Shugri Haji Ismail Bandare as rural development and environment minister, Ali Jama Farah as minister of fisheries and marine resources, Mohamed Jama Abgal as minister of posts and telecommunications, and Ahmed Abdi Kahin as minister of re-settlement.
Silanyo also created two new ministries -- the Ministry of Water Resources, which formerly came under the Ministry of Mining, Energy and Water Resources, and the Ministry of Technology, Research and Cabinet Co-ordination -- headed by Hussein Mohamed Abdille and Aden Ahmed Warsame respectively.
In addition, on June 26th, Silanyo named Abdirahman Jama Abdalle as state minister for livestock.
Mixed reactions to re-shuffle
Changes were expected as tensions lingered from the aftermath of last year's disputed municipal elections in Somaliland, according to Mohamed Omar Abdi, editor of the independent newspaper Jamhuuriya.
Although the new cabinet line-up includes two senior members of the Haqsoor political association, Silanyo did not consult with the political association about the appointments, leader Hassan Essa Jama said in a press release June 25th. Haqsoor, which rejected the election results, did not receive enough votes to become an official party.
Chairman of the Justice and Welfare Party Faisal Ali Warabe and party spokesman Ali Mohamed Yusuf both criticised the cabinet re-shuffle, saying it will not change anything.
Waddani party spokesman and regional parliamentarian Ibrahim Mahdi Buba said the changes were driven by tribal allegiances and will do nothing to address the region's current condition and needs.
"It is unnecessary to appease each sub-clan by giving them a minister or ministers. It should have been a selective and effective cabinet not built around tribal lines," he told Sabahi.
Nearly doubling the size of the cabinet from 26 members when Silanyo was elected in June 2010 seems to contradict the president's promises to build a compact and effective government, Buba said.
"Every new minister, minister of state and deputy minister that is appointed will only increase expenditure, which is a financial burden on Somaliland," he said. "Instead of increasing ministers, it is more important to use that money to address public needs and improve essential services."
Buba questioned how the new ministries and newly created positions would be funded since they were not part of the budget approved by the regional parliament.
Appeasing clans, women
Appeasing the clans is part of the Silanyo's political strategy, said Hussein Jama Guled, a Hargeisa-based lawyer who is also a political and security analyst.
"This change has several angles, both positive and negative," he told Sabahi. "It can be described as a cosmetic change as I do not see it as a full re-shuffling."
Guled defended Silanyo's choice of Waranadde as interior minister, saying his experience will help him address security in the Horn of Africa.
"Nonetheless, there are some critical positions that have been given to officials who are not suited to them in either skill or knowledge, such as the new minister of health," Guled said. "It is an essential service that was taken away from a minister who knew the work and improved the ministry."
Somaliland Women in Journalism Association Executive Director Fahma Yusuf Essa welcomed the changes, especially the appointment of two new women to Silanyo's cabinet – Rural Development and Environment Minister Bandare and Deputy Labour and Social Services Minister Shugri Harir Ismail.
Bandare previously led Candlelight for Health, Education & Environment, a Hargeisa-based non-governmental organisation. In 2011, International Crisis Group gave her an award for her role in advancing and strengthening peace.
"Because she was a long-time environmental activist, we believe she can do a lot about the current environmental problems in Somaliland," Yusuf told Sabahi.
"Their appointment brings to four the number of women in the cabinet, but we would like to see a greater number," Essa said, adding that Silanyo's decision will encourage more women to take part in politics.