By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun)- Half a year to end of his tenure the Somaliland President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo has effected major changes in the administration.
In a presidential decree # JSL/M/XERM/249-4828/062017 several post transfers, new appointments and firings were made to the Somaliland cabinet and offices of Director Generals.
Justifying his authoroty to effect changes in the administration to article 90 section 2 of the Somaliland constitution president Silanyo decreed that as from the 6th- June 2016 The follows King have been appointed to the country’s council of ministers
1. Mustafe Farah Abraar minister of posts and telecommunications
2. Hasan Hussein Nur Geelle deputy minister of health
3. Abdilahi aw Adan Rabi state minister for environment and rural development
4. Ahmed Ali Baynax state minister for aviation and air transport
All this we’re new appointments
In the same breathe the head of state reshuffled several state ministers and deputy ministers while firing six others namely
I. Mahmud Sh Abdilahi Egge former minister of posts and telecommunications
II. Ahmed Nur Fahiye former state minister aviation and air transport
III. Hasan Dahir Dhimbil former deputy minister of health
IV. Farhan Hasan Abdi former governor Daadmadeedh region
V. Ibrahim Jama Mohamed deputy governor Sarar region and
VI. Mohamed Ali Adan former Director General ministry of council coordination, Research And Technology 
Despite terming the reshuffle as a necessity of governance and that the changes take effect immediately the presidency did not give any reasons for the decree that brings the country’s council of ministers to over 70.
But according to Hasan Dahir the axed deputy minister of health, his firing is related to the recent election of a new mayor Sayla, his hometown of which he is suspected of having had a hand in disposing the administration preferred mayor
“Though am not shedding tears for exiting the administration those alluding to my having been involved in the Sayla local council mayoral changes are wrong not to mention that citizens are free to choose leaders of their choice in the country” said the outgoing deputy health minister
As for the minister of defense Ahmed Haji Adami, the latest administration reshuffle is nothing new nor unprecedented since it is the prerogative of the president to appoint, transfer or fire his appointees as per needs of the Day.
In the president Silanyo administration that has undergone many reshuffles the defense and that of energy and mineral ministerial holders are the only ones to have never been affected since mid 2010 when they assumed office.
Though president Silanyo came to office with a campaign pledge of constituting a small cabinet as opposed to the one of his predecessor that had 30 members, the promised lean cabinet has gradually grown from less than 20 in mid 2010 to the prevalent one of over 70 members most of whom are state ministers, literally translated as without any portfolio, offices or in succinct terms clan balancing appointments. Thence useless drain to the central coffers.
That be so the imperatives of these changes remain dubious owing to the fact that the president is to leave office once presidential elections he is not contesting this November are held, or is this a design to cling to office further since the legal tenure of his elected mandate ended 2 years ago?
Though there are 26 ministries officially with full time ministers at the helm the large number of state ministers and deputy ministers makes these one the most bloated ever in Somaliland.
