by T.Goshu
1. We are about five months away from the “national election” expected to take place in May of this year. Whether we
will keep doing the same way of doing politics and oddly wait for
things to happen by themselves (if there is such happening in real
life), or we should play a dynamic political game and make things happen
in favor of freedom and justice is still a very tough challenge to
face. I do not think the issue is really our shortcomings in theorizing –
explaining the importance of election and how to do it. For that
matter, the current constitution (“the supreme law of the country”) does
not have serious deficiency in out lining the basic values and
principles in this regard. The very deep and serious challenge we are
facing is the total absence of constitutionalism. What we do really have
is a constitution or a document used by an ethno-centric TPLF and its
brain-children (members of the Front) to attack and eliminate all
opposition parties and dissenting political movements. Needless to say,
the document (the constitution) of TPLF/EPRDF is not used as the supreme
legal document either to check and balance the powers of the three
branches of government or to regulate the relationship between citizens
and the government. There is no need for us to go far in search of
evidence as this deadly notorious political game is part of the
day-to-day lives of the people. It is because of this kind of
chronically ill political environment that it is quite safe to say that
it will be a very stupid political mistake to announce and decide to
participate in the upcoming election instead of working in unison and
force the ruling elites to open the political gate and door they closed
on peoples’ face for the last two decades. And I think that is the very
powerful purpose of “Freedom for Free and Fair Election! “campaign.The most acute shortcomings come from our highly egoistic political mentalities and the very backward political culture (devoid of democratic values) throughout our political history which seriously affect the very necessity of having collective vision for common destiny. Simply put, the very puzzling part of our way of doing politics is our terrible weaknesses to make the relationship between our theories (words) and deeds as meaningful as it should be. I am not talking about perfection which is unrealistic in dealing with politics in general and the Ethiopian politics in particular. What I am trying to say is that making very wonderful political rhetoric that cannot be tested with actions (deeds) is doomed to fail. In other words, whatever and how much we may theorize and argue about what the problem is and how and why we deal with it , they remain great theories and arguments until they examined or tested in practical terms. And this examination and testing requires the wisdom and courage to pay any necessary price in order not to compromise our fundamental principle and values, and to accomplish the desired goal we aspire and set. True, the path of our political struggle may terribly be full of up and downs to the extent of paying ultimate sacrifices , especially in countries languishing under ruthlessly tyrannical regimes such us ours.
One of the great Greek Philosophers, Socrates (before the birth of Christ) powerfully challenges us when he argues, “Unexamined life is not worth living.” Yes, we should honestly and courageously acknowledge the unfortunate situation in which we are living after thousands of years if we want to bring about a change that would make our lives worth living. Needless to say, the very issue of choosing or electing our representatives through a process which we as a people set up and have a sovereign power over it is the only means to break the vicious circle we have come through and to make our lives truly worth living. In other words, joining the deadly notorious drama of election which has been tested and tragically failed for the last two decades in the name of peaceful political struggle will not only keep the vicious cycle going but it will also make our lives much more dehumanizing or not worth living. This may sound to some fellow Ethiopians very harsh and kind of pessimistic. But that is what it is unless we want to deny and avoid it instead of face it, deal with it and overcome it.
I strongly want to argue that the announcement by some opposition political parties to participate in the upcoming election without public mobilization which meaningfully do put pressure on the reckless behavior and deadly political game of the ruling elites sounds not encouraging. I do deeply believe that the general crisis (political, socio-economic, moral/ethical, cultural, religious, not to mention identity) we are facing desperately requires the very feasible political strategy and perseverance, not the other way round.
It is my strong believe that there is a need for us to be deeply and genuinely self-critical if we have to make the upcoming election the turning point for good that should be bound to our desired common destiny: the prevalence of peace, freedom, a real sense of equality, justice, socio-economic wellbeing, and human dignity all of which are of course the sources of our national pride.
Needless to say that given the very ugly and deadly political drama of the inner circle of TPLF/EPRDF on one hand; and the outrageously senseless weaknesses of the political opposition organizations on the other hand for the last two decades, it is with a very mixed feeling that I have to
