The ruling party chiefs together with President Silanyo concluded a fortnight of official working tour of the U.K. & UAE 
By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun- Ruling Kulmiye party chiefs have returned to the country in the wake of massive members defections to opposition party Wadani.
The Kulmiye leadership was part of an official delegation led by president Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo that was on a two weeks working visit to the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates.
During the fortnight absence Kulmiye leaders among them chairman cum presidential candidate Muse Behi Abdi and several cabinet ministers the opposition party Wadani absorbed former top functionaries in both the administration and ruling party.
Upon his arrival the head of state and his delegation were received at the Egal international airport by a large welcoming committee led by Vice President Abdilahi Sayli that included ministers, legislators, traditional/political leaders and ordinary citizens.
At a post arrival pressed at the airport’s VIP lounge the livestock Development minister Abdilahi Ukuse said that the two weeks working visit by the head of state ended successfully and as planned.
While the president is not an active ruling party head, the return of the delegation sees Kulmiye leader cum presidential candidate Muse Behi who was part of the tour come to grips with main opponent Wadani which has swallowed a big chunk of party members and embarks on its internal elections for flag bearers in the presidential elections slated for 28th March 2017.
Wadani party holds its national convention in Hargeisa on the 19th October with much gusto and radiating from its recent political coup that saw it absorb Ex-Kulmiye leaders who resigned from the administration led by former powerful presidency minister Hirsi Haji Ali, former Foreign and justice ministers Mohamed Bihi Younis, and Hussein Ahmed Aided among other heavyweight politicians.
Basking in this glory that has not only heightened political temperatures in the country but raised jitters within Kulmiye, Wadani is holding its national convention in Hargeisa where the opposition party’s President and Vice President flag bearers in the March 2017 presidential elections shall rubber stamped.
Kulmiye is more jittery not because of the large number of members that defected to Wadani and are still doing so, but due to the democratic manner in which it’s main opponent is undertaking selection for presidency candidates, contrary to its own that so discontent ensue with the U precedented resignation of over 10 cabinet ministers led by Hirsi Haji Ali and now firmly in the opposition politics fold.
During run up to the Kulmiye national convention acrimonious strategies in which other contenders for leadership were disfranchised in favour of the Candidature of Muse Behi Abdi and Abdilahi Sayli as President and Vice respectively.
Contrary to the Kulmiye fiasco, Wadani party convene its national delegates devoid of any Candidature differences since Abdirahman Irro is sole nominee for president while the VP slot is being contested by two members Dr Mohamed Ali Abdi and Ahmed Muumin Seth.
The Wadani vice Presidemt nominee contenders one of whom shall join the Irro ticket after the 19th October convention are ironically close cousins hailing from Awdal region.
