As the Wadani presidential candidate pledges to never have a presidential, legislature o local councils nails term extension extension if the Opposition party wins in the Somaliland elections of December
Somalilandsun- The era of Silanyo as president of Somaliland shall go into the annals of history as one championing the muzzling of freedom and press through the gagging of journalists and proscription of media Houses.
This was opinionated by opposition Wadani presidential candidate Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi Irro during a Universal TV panel discussion in London where the politician who also as speaker of the Somaliland parliament said that the Silanyo administration has jailed more journalists, banned more Morris house than the prior three Somaliland governments of Abdirahman Tuur, Mohamed I Egal and Dahir Rayale Kahin put together
Queried by participating audience Irro said that the Silanyo cum Kulmiye party administration has in its six years in office failed to treat the fourth estate according to media laws in place
Pursued on the lackluster performance by his own parliament’s house of representatives in the protection of media and individual journalists from persecution by the sitting administration, Irro who is also vying for the presidency on a Wadani party ticket said, “ The work and duty of the legislature is not implementation but enactment of pertinent laws in Somaliland”
Acknowledging that apt media laws exist in the country the aspiring Somalilamd president laid blame of implementation and never ending media harassment on the administration of president Silanyo whom he credited with the highest number of media Houses proscribed and journalists arrested in all administrations that have governed Somaliland since 1991.
Reminiscing on the slogan of a free media utilized by Kulmiye then in Opposition during the 2010 presidential elections elections, Irro wondered how Silanyo could have taken a drastic about-turn on his freedom of speech pledge more his enmity to the local media that was his chief campaigner and supporters courtesy of the now discarded promise of non persecution.
In the course of the now six years Silanyo and Kulmiye party administrations a large number of jou naos yes have have their meals served in police custody for reasons related to their regular work, that is providing relevant information to the public.
Similarly the country’s most popular newspaper Hatuuf is now in its third year out of circulation following its prescription for reporting, negatively, according to the administration, others including tv stations are in the same quandary.
In conclusion Irro pledged that if his Wadani party wins forthcoming presidential elections thence his ascension to that office come December 2017 will not only fulfill the Silanyo/Kulmiye Tree media commitment but “term is extensions for the president, Parliament or Local governments shall be a thing of the past.
