Political Wounds That Never Heal
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By Adan Abdillahi Hanfi
Political parties, big or small, are designed like ocean liners- self sustaining and virtually unsinkable. With the stewardship of a seasoned captain at the helm, the dangers of the turbulent waters of the high seas are handled with meticulous care. But once these vessels start taking in water, they tend to go down in a split second.
The Kulmiye party of Somaliland has been listing precariously and it is fast approaching the point of no return. Just over a few months ago, ill-advised decisions of the party chairnan caused some serious cracks and gapping holes that threaten the very existence of the party. Without consulting the part executive or even properly evaluating the repercussions, the chairman of the party chose to awaken the dormant tribal beast. This move has put the party in a predicament. Far from being contained, the problem has been allowed to spread like prairie fire thereby prompting a fully fledged confidence crisis in Mr. Sillanyo’s ability to lead and manage the affairs of the party.
The ground-zero of this disaster indicates that Kulmiye is the party of choice for barely one out of ten of the population of Somaliland. Yet the leadership of the party are still convinced that Mr. Sillanyo will have a resonating effect come the election campaign. This blind faith in Chairman Ahmed’s leadership is shared by a shrinking group of Kulmiye party stalwarts.
Over the past five years, the chairman of Kulmiye party has been trying to convince Somalilanders that he would have been a better president than Mr. Rayale; that his party has a better set of policy options to guide Somaliland than does UDUB party. The Executive and the Central Committees of Kulmiye party rarely heed or consult the grassroots supporters.
First and foremost, our unwavering commitment and mission is to our party regardless of the individual at the helm. For the past three or four months, the majority of the party executive have blatantly ignored the prevailing political climate; ignored the supporters views; and most importantly abused their authority by issuing directives contrary to the party rules and byelaws.
In conclusion, it is imperative to head off a nosedive to self destruction by addressing the corrosive internal problems that currently plague the party. Whatever the case might be, there is one thing the party can not afford to ignore: The need for a change of leadership. It is time to explore and avail ourselves of those who have new vision; constructive ideas; and new initiatives to reshape the political platform of the party. Failure to do so and one thing is for certain- another resounding defeat in the upcoming presidential race. Make no mistake about this.
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