December 27, 2014
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
a report how it is like in Asmara and His view and his witness about the people of Eritrea towards Ethiopian people. Also he reported about different opposition military bases in the country and the state of AFFAIRS
of these opposition armed forces.
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.
