Somaliland: What the …..? An Embarrassment of Riches for the Opposition in the Country

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Somalilandsun – Of course, I speak of the Kulmiye fiasco. As jaws continue to drop, the opposition cannot help but ask what is next? They ask in silent and contented glee. Whoever said ” kuli yom mush ciid” was not talking about this debacle.

It continues to give political commentators, comedians and just about anybody you care to mention fodder for their grist. How did a politically and ideologically cohesive party end up as part of the theatre of the absurd?

Well, my friends before you ask ‘ what the …..?. The short history of the Kulmiye tells us much about how we came to this manna from heaven for the opposition, but not necessarily for the country and its citizens.

A party created on the sole purpose of getting one man into the presidency and nothing else tends to have no clue on conflict resolution within its ranks. A homogeneous party, such as Kulmiye does not expect such tiresome intrigue. It is a one man show, follow the leader and his relatives or pay the price. Sound familiar?

The leader is anointed and that is that. The President’s election as the Kulmiye party candidate and what happened to Ahmed Hussein Isse showed us early on what was to be expected. Subsequently, Abdurrahman Abdiqadir Farah was treated in such a disgraceful manner by the hierarchy which showed that this was a party hell bent on doing its dirty laundry in public.

This fiasco does beg the question ‘ what the..?. The question comes in various guises, ‘ what are they doing?’

Do they know what they are doing’? To assert that they have become the laughing stock of the nation is a bit strong and quite possibly mean, but it is all that friend or foe are talking about; and it is a slippery slope especially if you want to be taken seriously.

The nation needs leaders who are educated, disciplined and principled. Leaders whose words stands for something and whose promises you can take to the proverbial bank.

The nation does not need or warrant leaders whose action will have you scratch your head and say “What the…?”

Kulmiye, thanks to its current leadership, is displaying all the signs of a party in decline. With each grandiose conference and futile attempts to grab the microphone (Representative Bukhari, stand up or rather, shut up and sit down), and the ever increasing central committee, shades of the Kremlin, as well as the inclusion of several new members, who are well versed in interparty fratricide, it is no wonder that the ruling party in Somaliland has called in the House of Elders to save its skin.

As with all political parties, the founding members of the party finds themselves marginalized or exiled, and it’s no different with Kulmiye. Those stalwarts from the early days are out in the cold, in the doldrums and have been replaced by the power in the Presidency.

The current chair, a man known for his strident partisanship decided to make a play, a real political gamble, and found his supporters sacked, shot and arrested in the middle of the night.

Earlier this year, members of the party made a play for the Speaker of the parliament, and almost plunged the nation into chaos, today, the shoe is on the other foot. Kulmiye is making a play for itself, but with graver danger to the nation.

Let us hope the latest Kulmiye party farce does not take a toll on the nation, and that the President’s tweet about a resolution in a few days comes true. Somalilanders remain hopeful his words will be something they can bank on. The people are dumbfounded and are clamouring for a government singular in its service to them. The ruling party would do well to listen to the voice of the people.

ALAA MAHAD LEH

LONG LIVE SOMALILAND

Hassan Mohamed