By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The 2015 presidential ambitions of Kulmiye party chair Mr. Musa Bihi have hit a snag.
There are covert moves within the ruling Kulmiye party to have incumbent president Silanyo and his deputy Sayli to contest re-election during planned 2015 presidential elections.
This moves which negate the ambitions of current provisional Kulmiye party chair Musa Bihi are contrary to the wishes of the president Dr Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo who upon ascension to office declared his plans for a one presidential term.
Having made this public declaration the head of state took a step further and relinquished his post as Kulmiye party chairman which was immediately occupied by Mr Musa Bihi in an acting capacity which translates to the fact that once the party echelons confirm him he will be the party’s presidential flag bearer in 2015.
The revelation that a number of party functionaries are inducing the president to reconsider his one term desire was revealed by Hon Mohamed Haji Yusuf Wabeyo, a member of parliament and senior Kulmiye party functionary came during an interview with Jamhuriya newspaper in Hargeisa.
“It’s normal for the incumbent president and his deputy to run again, good physical and mental health providing” Said Wabeyo
Though similar sentiments are yet to be made by other members of the Kulmiye caucus pushing for president Silanyo’s re-election, the Wabeyo revelation must have/will produce a political storm within the ruling party and consternation to the ambitious party chair Muse Bihi and his deputy Mohamed Kahin.
While it is the norm for political parties to hold internal election/selection for flag bearers, the acquiescence of the president to this plan will see him win the party position since he still, technically, remains the party chair, a position usually reserved for presidential hopefuls.
While the he
ad of state has declared his desire for one term tenure, and partially relinquished party chairmanship, the position of his deputy Hon Abdirahman Abdilahi Ismail “Sayli” the vice president remains shrouded in black.
VP Sayli has been the president’s deputy at the party thus his current post of vice president is yet to make a stand on his political future, and in view of current machinations within the party hierocracy, Sayli seems to be out of the picture, thus a political future in Kulmiye depends on Dr Silanyo accepting to contest re-election.
As deputy to the president, VP Sayli who was expected to over any seat vacated by his boss appears nowhere in the ‘who and who’ of the Kulmiye party.
Following local council elections late last year, which were contested by seven political groups, the political parties’ registration and verification committee-PPR&VC, announced Kulmiye, Wadani and UCID as the three officially registered political parties as allowed by the country’s constitution.
In a country whose constitution allows registration of only t
hree political parties at any given time, local council elections that are contested by political groups have a dual pronged objective: electing local council members and three national political parties that are selected from the three leading political groups in the elections.
Once the three official parties were named the three aspiring presidents became visible in the persons of Hon Abdirahman Irro-Wadani, Mr Jamal Ali-UCID and Mr. Musa Bihi-Kulmiye thus a shock at factional Kulmiye party to have Dr Silanyo enter the race.
Neither the president Silanyo-VP Sayli nor the Musa Bihi- Ahmed Kahin teams have commented in confirmation or denial of the Wabeyo revelations
Meanwhile the truth is expected in the form of the forthcoming Kulmiye party central committee and annual delegates meetings slated for later this year.
