A Truly Inspiring Political Step that Has to Be Taken Seriously

June 9, 2013

by T.Goshu, June 2013

1. I want make myself clear that what I am trying to reflect in this piece of writing is just to express my impression about the peaceful demonstration which I strongly believe was and is a very big eye-opener after eight years of  incredible level of fear and silence. I am also trying to forward my points of view on the question of how to keep the momentum not only moving forward but also a success story as far as a very challenging peaceful struggle being re-launched is concerned. The very purpose of mentioning the comment by truly concerned commentators, including a highly respected and qualified is to express my observation on the way they try to express the inspiring aspect of the event. It is not my intention either to engage in kind of good for nothing   counter- argument or to invite unnecessary dialogue that may derail our focus on the issue of how we should keep the very encouraging political movement going towards the goal we desperately aspired. This said; let me proceed to my comment and points of view.

2. After relentless and  patriotic effort made by a very young political party (Semayawi /Blue party) together with a relatively meaningful participation of other concerned opposition political parties and above all with very active participation of  the people at large, thepeaceful demonstration of June 2- 2013 has made the  demand for a genuine democratic transformation very loud and clear .This  deeply powerful and legitimate demand requires or deserves serious attention as well as highly responsible feedback from the ruling party and its branches of government. I strongly believe that the ruling party (TPLF/EPRDF) desperately needs to listen to the profoundly clear and self-evident demands of the people instead of attempting to stick with the same propaganda of intimidation and fictitious blackmail.  Needless to say that there is a need to listen carefully and respond constructively to a very deep public discontent that has been echoed loudly and vehemently instead of muddling in the drama of politics as usual that has been tried for the last two decades and miserable failed. It is high time to take a deep breath and have a critical inward-looking (what went wrong within the ruling party and its branches of government), to think thoroughly how the political culture of ruling with horrible fear is the greatest enemy of not only democracy but also of the very essence of national feelings of citizens. This kind of dangerous trend must be reversed with a real sense of rational, critical and above all democratically inclusive engagement before it causes a serious damage to our priceless value, national pride.  Yes,  there is no doubt that the very heavy responsibility rests on the courage of the ruling party to try hard to get out of a very messy political behavior and practice and pave the way for a truly patriotic and visionary political leadership. Jason Stearns, the author of the book, Dancing in the Glory of Monsters (2011) which deals with the recent tragic politics in the DRC ( the Democratic Republic of Congo) states the following to witness;  “Perhaps the most nagging , persistent problem I have witnessed while researching and writing this book has been the lack of visionary, civic-minded leadership.” Well, I am not arguing that the situations in our country and that of the DRC are exactly the same. But I strongly argue that there is no doubt that the severe lack of genuinely concerned and truly visionary leadership that has caused a very huge problem in the DRC and other African countries are very hard political fact in our country too. Will the ruling party be courageous enough to learn its lessons from multitude of terrible mistakes made by it and other dictatorial regimes of our continent and move forward accordingly?  Will it (the ruling party) be willing and able to stop its upside down   definition of popular victory and put it upright, and play its constructive part? I think it is appropriate to quote Louis Fischer (Gandhi and His Life and Message for the World, 1954) in which he says the following about Gandhi: “VICTORY IS TO HIM WHO IS READY TO PAY THE PRICE.”Yes, those members of the inner circle of TPLF/EPRDF desperately need to be ready to recognize and accept the very demands of the people, the right to decide their fate with full exercise of their political and civil rights as true victory that comes through paying the necessary price.

3. The organizing party (Semayawi) and all other genuinely concerned opposition political parties, civil rights advocates and above all the people at large truly deserve great appreciation for making the event successful in relative terms.    As wisely stated in a statement released by Semayawi Party in response to ridiculous and irresponsible comments by some officials of the ruling party, those members  of the police force who appropriately  discharged their duty during the four hour peaceful demonstration deserve due appreciation . The Ethiopian people are cautiously hopeful that this very desirable way of behaving and acting will continue and become part and parcel of the peaceful struggle for the realization of a democratic system in our country.  It has to repeatedly be underlined that the very responsibility and duty of the law enforcement body is to enforce laws and regulations that have a lot to do with safeguarding national security and the well-being and rights of the people. It has to be stressed now and then that being instrumental in advancing the ugly if not bloody political game of a bunch of politicians in power  is not only  absolutely wrong both politically and morally but it is also a serious crime against national interest and humanity.   Yes, unless the ruling party and its government want to continue playing the very reckless and damaging political game of the last two decades, the voices of the people that have been silenced by senselessly ruthless actions for the last eight years are making a very powerfully nationwide reawakening call should be taken as great opportunities to correct grave political mistakes and move forward accordingly.

4. I have tried to go through articles and/or comments forwarded by some genuinely concerned writers and commentators .To mention few: Professor Alemayehu A. Mariam (“Ethiopia Has Arisen!” Ambassador Imru Zeleke (“Semayawi Party has Brocken the Spell”; Yihenew Antehunegne- (“The Jericho of Fear has been Destroyed – Yeferahat Eyarico Tedremese!”); and Dr.Tekola Hagos (“….The Blue Party and the Diaspora “). With regard to the first three comments, I wholly agree as far as the very contents of the messages are concerned. The only concern I want to express is the selection of the Topics of discussions. I understand that the topics of each piece of writing are selected to be inspirational, and that is good. But I am of the opinion that it was and is better to make the topics of our discussions on the political challenges we are facing realistically and proportionally relevant to the efforts we are making. In other words, much stretched expressions like the one I am commenting on should not replace news papers’ type of headlines. I am talking about not merely the question of form but about making the topics realistically or objectively inspirational.

The very topic and certain points of Dr. Tekola Hagos’ article seem full of inconsistencies, much generalized characterization of not only the political parties in the Diaspora but ridiculously enough Ethiopians in the Diaspora to the extent of saying the diaspora is psychologically unhealthy and with more fantasy than children, unnecessarily and unrealistically overstretched view about the political mentality we came across in the late 1960s and till the early 1980s. Well, the very comment of Dr. Tekola on the question of how should the Blue Party needs to be mindful in the process of taking its legitimate cause forward is rational and constructive. But some of his points of view and concerns suffer from lack of clarity and kind of assumptions: a) I do not know where the concern about  the possibility of  the Blue Party being vulnerable to Muslim Jihadists, fanatic Christians comes from b) I do not understand the rationality of a political argument that considers the contact of the Blue Party with any Diaspora based political organization is a kind of suicidal (“a kiss of death”) c) It would have been great if Dr. Tekola explained his reason why he does not believe that protests /demonstrations and boycotting classes or businesses of the ruling party and the like are among the main instruments of expressing public discontent d) what does using the existing structures mean ? e) I do not know if the need to stress the idea of not crossing certain areas such as national sovereignty and territorial integrity has something to do with a political party which has made very clear in this respect f) I do believe that whoever makes his or her voices heard about the sufferings of innocent journalists, religious and human rights activists and members of opposition political parties should be welcomed, not discouraged because of our perception or assumption that it might be used as a pretext. g) I have difficulties to understand why and how the political idea of power sharing and reconciliation could necessarily be causes of corruption. I am just jotting down the points of arguments by Dr.Tekola not for the sake of either undermining or challenging his view, but to express my difficulties to coherently understand his style of argument. I will be so glad if he or any concerned fellowman/women could help me out.

5. Anyway, I hope Semayawi Party and all other opposition political parties will definitely take all sorts of comments, ideas, view, analysis and recommendations into serious consideration and use them as inputs for the peaceful political struggle. I would like to conclude with a very relevant quote from author Carne Ross (The Leaderless Revolution:  How ordinary People Will Take Power and change politics in the 21^st century, 2011). He states, “Self-organization need not and should not be an antagonistic process. Simply start talking to your neighbors. Identify shared concerns, and take action. Establish forums to discuss common issues moderate these respectfully and inclusively, invite all those concerned to attend – and to speak.” He added the following when he reinforces his argument: “But before any of this, the fear must be overcome – fear of one another, fear of ridicule or failure ,perhaps most inadmissible of all ,fear of  our own considerable power, as yet unleashed. It is this fear that authority plays upon, indeed relies upon.…”