By: Yumoha Pasha

The leadership tussle for the ruling Kulmiye party has widSamale and Bihi who is next Kulmiye party leaderened further with opposing candidates refusing to budge from their stances.

The intent to vie for the leadership of the ruling Kulmiye party by Finance Minister Hon. Abdiaziz Samale has opened a Pandora box that if not cut in bud shall lead the party the UDUB way.

At a luncheon he hosted on Saturday for members of his Sa'ad Muse Clan the Finance Minister announced his candidature for the chairmanship of the ruling Kulmiye party during its planned General Assembly to be held this March.

The Samale entry into the fray is an apparent attempt to deny long serving deputy and current acting party leader Mr. Musa Bihi from the top position thus subsequent party presidential candidate in planned 2015 elections.

Muse Bihi who has been acting leader since President Silanyo resigned the post upon assuming the Presidency had in the past held a similar function for his sub clan who gave him similar support as the one given Samale.

The former freedom fighter and Army Commander who is credited with helping the fragmentation of former ruling party UDUB is now set on a similar direction for his Kulmiye party that he nurtured since inception a decade ago under the tutelage of President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo.

Rumours of the Samale quest for the Kulmiye ruling party's top seat thus subsequently its presidential candidate have elicited much debate in the capital city and elsewhere in the country.

The irony of the Samale candidature is the vehement opposition from Musa Bihi due to his desire and all along held beliefs of being the unopposed party leader are that his acting leadership capacity shall be reverted to elected but without opposition.

On the other side it might appear that, with Samale entering the race and considering that he his grassroots support base is shared by Musa Bihi, the much touted desire for a second Silanyo term by some party stalwart is in the cooking pot.

With all said and done Kulmiye party is better off without Musa Bihi at the helm due to his accrued animosity within the populace nationwide.

Meanwhile major fallout has occurred at the party starting with a major confrontation between the two aspirants (Bihi and Samale) who are said to have met at the presidency following the Samale announcement.

The meeting with the party's top honchos is reported to have gone badly for Musa Bihi who was demanding the immediate resignation of his opponent as finance minister or withdrawal as party leader candidate.

kulmiye enjoys wide supportWith Samale refusing to accede to any of the two Bihi demands the war escalated on the morning of Sunday with Bihi calling in police to restore order at the party headquarters in Hargeisa following confrontations by supporters of the two antagonists.

On the other hand the party's acting deputy leader Mohamed Kahin has complicated an already complicated issue by supporting the Bihi demand for Samale to resign his cabinet post while enunciating on possibilities of his candidature for the leadership post.

His comments to the media also indicated the possibility of postponing the party's annual delegate's assembly which was originally slated for March this year