Somaliland’s Ruling Party Kulmiye Internal Dispute Resolved
By: Abdirisak Itaqile
Hargeisa, 23 Feb 2014 (SDN) – The way is now clear to holding the third convention of Somaliland’s Ruling party Kulmiye and finalising a political solution to a chronic party wrangles conflict that has that has rocked the ruling party for several years now.
After several weeks of behind-the-scene shuttle diplomacy and two days of face to face talks in the presidential palace, ruling party’s conciliating committee Saturday issued a ten point recommendation which will serve a lasting solution for leadership wrangles.
The ten point recommendation paves the way for the current Chairman Muse Bihi Abdi and his four deputies as well as the secretary general to keep their posts and the finance minister Abdiaziz Mohamed Samale will be a member of the executive committee.
On balance more concessions came from the Samale side than from the Bihi side.
Ruling party conciliating committee recommendations reads:
“Recently President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud (Silanyo) named a committee conciliating the wrangles among top party echelon blamed for stalling the third ruling party convention which is already long overdue. The committee which is made up of ten members has recently demonstrated their resolve in deploying all means in the disposal in a bid to find a solution to the current internal party conflict.
The conciliating committee in their quest to find a solution to the complex problem that has engulfed the ruling party in recent times began by trying to understand the root causes and to get an insight into the matter by listen to the grievances of the individuals from both opposing sides so they resorted to what we call Shuttle “diplomacy” by acting as an intermediary between the two sides in the dispute of whom before the intervention of the conciliating committee had little or without any direct contact whatsoever. After separately consorting with both parties they succeeded in bring the warring sides to sit face to face in the same table for the first time with both sides presenting their grumbles on the table in the presence of other side.
Therefore the conciliating committee bearing in mind the importance of maintain the unity of the party and for the holding of the party’s third general convention in due time. The committee after listening to the grievances of all parties concerned and in the interest of all party’s concerned they came up with the following recommendations:-
1. The mandate of organizing the third party convention solely lies with the existing party executive committee tasked organizing the convention and that committee shall be answerable to the steering committee
2. In accordance with the party constitution and regulation the Steering committee shall excesses the privilege of having the say in choosing the four new delegates who shall be included in the executive committee tasked with organizing the third party convention
3. If the need be arise for amending the current party constitution then the steering committee shall be responsible in preparing the amending the constitution of which they shall hand over the executive committee which will in turn present the amended constitution at the party convention.
4. Bearing in mind the importance of safeguarding and maintaining the party’s unity ,the conciliating committee has recommended that the current Chairman ,the four deputies and the secretary general shall keep their post and their position won’t be eligible for contention during the party’s convention.
5. The current Finance Minister Hon Abdi Aziz Mohamed Samaale will be a member of the executive committee.
6. The new executive committee shall jointly be named by the party’s Steering committee after consulting with H.E President A.M. Mahmoud.
7. The recently incorporated delegates who formerly aligned to Dalsan, Damal and Umadda are required to present their representatives to the party in order to take part in the upcoming convention.
8. In keeping with party’s rules and regulations all delegates coming from the various regions will be chosen by their respective regional party officials and those at national level.
9. The central committee delegates shall be elected during thew party’s convention as clearly stated in article #8.
10. The party Conciliating committee shall oversee the implementation of all rules and regulations during the duration of the convention.
The conciliating committee
1. Foreign Minister, Mohamed Bihi Yonis Chairman
2. Defense Minister Ahmed Haji Ali Adami Deputy Chairman
3. Ali Hassan Mohamed MP -Secretary
4. Minister of Civil Aviation and Air Transport
5. Minister of Education and Higher Learning –Member
6. Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowment- Member
7. Director of NDC- Member
8. Mohamed Ahmed Obisiye – Member
9. Abdirahman Abu Bakar –Member
10. Abdillahi Jama Geel jire – Member
SDN Hargeisa