Ever since the reformist government of Ethiopia renamed oppositions as competing political parties and invited them for peaceful dialogue nine months ago aiming at sustainable peace and development, several political parties have been coming back home from exile.
The initiative the ruling party has taken to promote peaceful negotiation and dialogue with any political party without any outside moderator is expected to widen the political space and strengthen the country’s democratic culture. The parties also agreed to discuss on national issues acknowledging government’s goodwill and decision. Among these are leaders of Oromo Liberation Front led by Gelasa Dilbo, who have recently come back home.
Bariisaa Newspaper had a short stay with the chairman of the front on current affairs. Excerpts: Q: Why did you decide to come back home after several years in exile?
Gelasa Dilbo: We have come back home in response to the call of the government for peaceful dialogue. Our purpose is to support the ongoing reform; we have chosen peaceful dialogue in order to ensure sustainable peace and development.
We have been carefully watching what was happening in the country; particularly, since the current reforms were launched after [Prime Minister] Dr. Abiy [Ahmed] has come to power. Just as he delivered a well-received and hopeful inaugural speech at the House of People’s Representatives back in April, his government has been accomplishing some promises stated in the speech.
As a result, we consider our decision to come back for peaceful dialogue as the right step. We believe there are several hopes and promising beginnings as a result of the ongoing reform measures. We should cultivate them for further benefits and sustainable peace.
There are several things the nation has been enjoying due to the reforms: doing away with the dictatorial leadership, inviting all the political parties for peaceful dialogue from exile even those that were labeled as terrorists, ending hostilities and establishing peaceful relations with the neighboring nations and the like are some of the fundamental measures the government has undertaken.
In view of all these changes and the like beginnings, our party members have arrived at the consensus to support the reforms. More importantly, before our coming here, a delegation led by the Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workineh Gebeyehu (PhD) had discussion with us at Berlin, Germany.
The discussion was encouraging and concluded with fruitful agreements.
Q: Would you tell us some of those agreements?
Gelasa: We agreed to end the hostile relations between the ruling party and our party that had persisted for more than a couple of decades; and facilitate things for peaceful dialogues. The other agreement we made is that our party would have communication with our people without any restrictions. Both sides also agreed that they no longer use any power. And so on.
Q: What should your people expect from your party? Any strategic plan that you would be implementing?
Gelasa: We have plans that we shall bring into reality with our people. At the outset, we want to make sure that the peace of our people is secured sustainably. We have come back to actively engage ourselves in the political and economic transformation through peaceful and democratic means. We are ready to work with any Oromo party that has plans to serve and address the questions of our people. Q: Would you tell us the pros and cons of the current reforms? Gelasa: Provided that the ongoing reform continues with its current pace, there would be several chances so as to fully answer the questions of our people.
The beginning is promising. And we have to work hard in order to increase the benefits of our people in the course of the reforms. We are here to carry out our responsibilities efficiently and we are ready to work with the government and support the reform without setting any preconditions.
The government has planned to bring about economic and democratic transformation in the country. We know that requires super hard work. On our part, we support the government’s efforts towards realizing that goal. The situation in the country is now relatively stable and promising. But it is still important to discuss the main sources of conflicts that are prevailing in some pockets of the country through examining the real experiences as well as prevailing objectives during this decisive time for the nation.
Q: Few political parties are against the federalism system. What is the stand of your party here?
Gelasa: Some people are trying to destroy the great success the country has achieved at incalculable cost. This is not a wise approach. Developing discourses against federalism can never work in the Ethiopian context. Federalism is a proper system for Ethiopia. The problems that the nation has been experiencing have not just resulted from federalism. I believe that solutions for most of our problems would come by implementing federalism efficiently. The people of Ethiopia need federalism.
The system is being implemented in different parts of the world. More than 40 percent the world’s populations live under federal states including the hugely diverse countries like USA, India, Brazil, Canada, Nigeria and Ethiopia. It is commonly understood that countries under federal system are relatively peaceful and democratic. Thus, federalism is not a system that creates problems; rather it provides solutions.
Ethiopia is a country with nations, nationalities and peoples that are inextricably interwoven to promote their cultures, lifestyles and other values, and strengthen their ties. Federalism favors every citizen to have equal rights before the law. It became existent in response to the questions of the people. The economic development that the nation has registered in the last two decades is also the outcome of the system.
Q: Which one is appropriate for Ethiopia: citizen or ethnic based politics?
Gelasa: The political parties are organized according to the prevailing circumstances of their nation. Some parties can be ethnic based while others pursue citizenship politics. Both are essential based on the purpose they stand for. Ethnic based politics would work to ensure the rights of the ethnic group they originated from. They must work together to strengthen their relations among one another for the sake of peace and democracy.
Herald January 10/2019
