By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The sad UDUB election withdrawal saga has taken an unexpected twist.
The leader of the main opposition party of UDUB Hon Dahir Rayale Kahin has appealed to president Silanyo for a two weeks to the 14th September deadline for parties to submit their lists of candidates to the national election commission-NEC.
According to Somalilandsun sources within the party’s senior hierarchy, the leader of the party whose presidential candidate made a surprise announcement withdrawing UDUB as a contender in forthcoming local council elections left the country for France immediately he handed over his letter of request to president Silanyo.
The Rayale letter is said to ask the president to extent the candidate submission dates for a fortnight thus enable UDUB complete its nomination process interrupted by the decision by the Political Parties Registration and Verification Committee- PPR&VC that nullified the nomination of the opposition party is presidential and vice presidential candidates respectively
A PPR&VC statement released on 4 September 2012, informed that the nomination of both Ali Mohamed Waran’ade and Ahmed Haji Dahir, as UDUB’s designate presidential and vice presidential nominees have been revoked because the party contravened Article 11 of its own constitution.
The appeal by Ex-president Dahir Rayale, who is credited with institutionalizing democratic norms in the country during his eight years tenure at the presidency, contradicts the earlier Waran’ade withdrawal announcement and subsequent plans to institute legal proceedings against the PPR&VC for party character and dignity assassination.
The oldest party thought to be recuperating from internal factional infighting and defections is now showing a sign of needing further medical attention as the 6 months virus is visibly back.
While Rayale has a right to quality family time his departure to France where his family resides, at this needy UDUB hour coupled with the withdrawal statement signed not by him but Waran’ade is suspect.
So which way will the UDUB dice fall as pertains to local council elections slated for 28 November 2012?
