The hot debated and peacefully contested leadership within the Kulmiye Party should reflect the level of political maturity and inter-party discipline acquired by this party after the marginal loss of the Presidency.
As the veteran Somaliland politician, Abdulkadir Jirde put it; the demise of Kulmiye will be a severe blow to Somaliland democratic process. As an UDUB senior leader, Mr. Jirde sincerely admits that Kulmiye harbors the intelligentsia and political elite of Somaliland.
May I add to this, most of the Kulmiye members I know believe as the principle of late Kennedy; “First think what you can do for your country, before you ask what your country can do for you!”. And this should be the cornerstone of a caring political party few points underlining
Kulmiye political maturity:
Accepted defeat in the presidential election by the slightest margin of all elections worldwide. They tolerated and lived under illegal emergency law.
They gave in to any government provocative, confrontational tactics in the interest of the country stability and peace.
They accepted the extension of President’s term.
The current split with in party after the congress and heated contested on party’s leadership is another good sign of democratic maturity. The players of current drama are aligned neither in tribal nor regional lines, but on the basis of party ideology and the mechanism of the anticipated good governance. At the same time not joining another party as the usual mode of Somali party politics. The end game of the current party drama cannot be easily predicted, but the winners will be a will for Somaliland.
On the other side of the aisle, some UDUB leaders may be jubilant on Kulmiye inter-strive. I call those as either political amateurs or evil-minded folks who cannot foresee the negative back-lash of such events not only to the state, but also to their party.
UDUB as ruling party has functioned as authoritarian and executive party and did not develop the infrastructure and institutions necessary for political party and did not practice, much needed political debates, did not stage leadership contests, did not acquire the political tolerance which is cornerstone of Democratic Party.
I know many disgruntled Udub senior leaders who are already uneasy on the upcoming Udub congress. They doubt whether their voice will be heard and the leadership contest of party will not be democratic or transparent.
The most difficult questions for all Somalilanders will be:
Will Udub congress and leadership contest be more lively, democratic and transparent than Kulmiye. Or dormant political divisions within Udub will erupt as a political volcano and the current Kulmiye split would like as a drop in the ocean.
Axmed Siciid, Hargeysa.
http://samotalis.blogspot.com/
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