The Executive Committee of the Somaliland ruling party, Kulmiye, today, booted out its Central Council Chairman, Jama Ismail Eggeh ‘Shabeel’ unceremoniously.
An official expulsion letter released to the media, Sunday, stated that Jama was found guilty of a number of transgressions and violations incommensurate with party norms and regulations.
Signed by the Second Deputy Chairman of the Party, Ahmed Abdi Dheere, the letter accused Mr. Shabeel of making a habit of going against the policies, views and code of conduct of the ruling party by inciting opposition to the government and party policies and procedures, by intentionally disputing party views, by sowing rift and rancour among top leaders of the party both at the office and outside of it and by repeatedly criticizing government measures and decrees in public to stir public/civil disobedience.
The DC cited Paragraphs 2, 3, & 4 of Article 56 of the Party constitution for the harsh disciplinary action adopted which did not only divest the Ex-Chairman of responsibility but that of the party membership, too.
The reigning Chairman and the First Deputy of the party are, respectively, the incumbent President and the Minister for the Interior, Musa Bihi Abdi and Mohamed Kahin, leaving the party to struggle with a growing dissent wanting to see dynamic changes at the very top.
Jama Shabeel has of late become very critical of how the government handled tax raises, tax exemptions and re-nationalization of a number of assets and ventures, holding press conferences that put a question mark on how fast was president Musa Bihi Abdi’s grip on the new measures – if at all.
Due to above, the Secretary-General of the Party, Hassan Saeed Yussuf, gave an indication of what was in store for Mr. Shabeel by, himself, dressing down the CC Chairman’s ‘unethical’ behavior last week.
Jama responded in kind.
To many, Jama became synonymous with clean campaigning and stalwart loyalty to Kulmiye principles. This expulsion, to them, is a total, foreboding surprise – as it is to many more, and especially as it follows close behind subliminal message Kulmiye women officers and cadres sent out during a recent, courtesy visit they made to the Ex-President, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud ‘Siilaanyo’, at his residence in Hargeisa.
