BY FITSUM GETACHEW
Part two
The fact that there is a general feeling that the ruling party may win the elections may not be scientifically provable because no one knows what the true feelings of the voters may be. There are no reliable polls conducted. Stories that are peddled on social media can hardly represent trust! But many are heard murmuring that a reasonable guess leads them to such a result also because the opposition does not seem to appear so well organized and solidified to present a real challenge to outshine the incumbent. Admittedly there is progress but such progress may perhaps be not so strong to outplay the incumbent, they say.
From our past experiences and what history has taught us, they say we know that it is very difficult to depose a sitting government unless it is totally discredited and has shown every visible weakness imaginable. It is difficult to think the current circumstances of our country lead to such a finding. It is true that many Ethiopians particularly those who are now in opposition like to associate this party with the defunct organization and that it needs a thorough change in order to be attributed with full confidence and trust. And that above all the ruling party cannot be the ideal party to lead the country single-handed. They say this is clearly a dangerous phenomenon for the culture of democracy we want to plant and nurture.
Monopoly of power for an unlimited period is the end of democracy, they argue, and this is what would push the country to a crisis; and that is why many observers insist that those who oppose the policies of the ruling party need to present ‘alternative policies’ or complementary ideas and above all keep the country intact and solidify it so that it can defend its international status.
It should not be forgotten that our enemies are working day and night to divide us and make us look like a weak state, a depleted and discredited government but Ethiopians are also reputed with putting their internal differences, their intestinal feuds aside when alien threats gather momentum. This is exactly one of those critical periods to surmount with courage and determination. Many say it is reminiscent of Adwa and be inspired by that!
It is said repeatedly that Ethiopia needs a democratic government today more than any other period in the past. It needs a government in which the people feel well represented and protected. Today more than ever before Ethiopians are being subjected to a sense of siege and we need to rebuild our confidence in our country, show to the world and particularly to the ‘enemies’ of the country that we are not divided; we stand together against any potential rival or enemy who wants to create chaos in our people. Analysts say the outcome of this election and the policies that are adopted subsequently could be the best opportunity to demonstrate it.
It is not only shameful but distressing that certain political groups and one can easily include in this list TPLF and ‘Shene’ and others who are so unscrupulous, that they would stand even with the devil (in order to demonize and discredit Ethiopia) or the government they do not like for no reason except for the lust for power! To date the records show that there have not seen any altruistic ends or outcome by these forces because what they have done in their entire existence has not been useful to the people at large, except to their own selected and close families or clans!
Ethiopia now needs a strong government that is capable of harvesting all its potential and then be in a position to face successfully the challenges of the day in front of her.
The first challenge is the traitorous attack of terrorist TPLF against its integrity and the consequences of such disruption. A population of about six million is in misery and agony due to the mistaken and myopic policies and measures adopted by the TPLF junta back in November 2020. This is by itself a catastrophe for many obvious reasons. It engulfed the country with all its scarce wealth and resources into one of the most tragic internal conflicts in our history. It is indeed a shame that there are still people who support this group that directly risked plunging the country into an abyss of chaos and disintegration! It was a totally uncalled for measure and the consequences are so catastrophic that they are bound to leave their mark for years.
Innocent people have been forced at gun point to be trained as soldiers and militia and forced again to kill their own brothers and sisters. This has been an unpardonable miscalculation that risked the total collapse of the country as we know it today. Among the worst atrocities were committed by this group and in several occasions against its own would be supporters just for political gains! This has tarnished the reputation and image of Ethiopia as a nation trying to grow into a more inclusive and democratic country rather than one controlled by a few individuals for three decades having developed a ‘police state’ controlled by a few autocrats leaving millions at their mercy! We have come to realize that the rebellion that outburst in the past several years and the introduction of the current government has been a direct result of misguided and undemocratic policies applied by TPLF led EPRDF leaders planting seeds of hate and suspicion among the peoples of the country!
Be that as it may, many people are ready to acknowledge that the Abiy Ahmed government has done all it could to save the country from the specter of disintegration. But this does not mean that the country is totally out of the woods yet! There is tremendous homework to be carried out by this administration if above all it gets the mandate of the people. In this process, it needs the support of all other parties that even stand against it and competed against it in the elections. The elections results may be unfavorable to any political force but what counts is that people have spoken and their voices must be listened to carefully; and acceptance of the outcome must be given priority while an inclusive government must be sworn in.
The current circumstances dictate that we are faced with several challenges that cannot give us time. We need to face them head on, if possible with the support of our allies and partners, if not alone, because we have no alternatives but to take care of these challenges promptly. For instance we need to stabilize the Tigray region, guarantee the security of millions of our compatriots in dire straits, displaced and exposed to all sorts of vulnerabilities. Attempts to use the conditions as a weapon of war and then undermine the government carried out by enemies must be rejected with action.
We need to clear and wipe away all the allegations of crimes particularly those that refer to ‘crimes against humanity’ and ‘sexually motivated offenses’ such as rape by prosecuting all those responsible and show to the world that we mean business, that we are interested in justice and equality, not leave those who are responsible go freely, irrespective of their identity. We need to guarantee that the GERD is complete and our trajectory towards progress in unhampered or is aborted. We need to guarantee basic services to all those who have been displaced due to so many insurrections and sabotages perpetrated by terrorist groups on the payroll of alien forces. We need to face the challenges of the economy including the inflationary circles and the unemployment of millions of youths who join the labor market every year. We need to guarantee that corruption is wiped out at its grass roots level with transparent and accountable governance.
The country needs to be governed by laws and justice; and rule of law must be paramount. No one should be allowed to consider themselves above the law because they belong to this political class or that ethnic group, and the like. Equality in front of the law must be the basis of the moves of the government in all its actions and we have seen that the contrary was carried out for decades. It must now be time to call it off.
The integrity and unity of the country cannot be put under discussion by any force, internal or external. Only then can we secure the confidence and support of the civilized world, friends and foes alike. Only then can we move around with our heads high up and erect. Ethiopia must not be kneeling to any pressure by both friends and foes alike.
A united stance is the best medicine and shield to all this. No doubts hard times may come, and indeed we are passing through one now; but no one would guarantee our freedom and independence without sacrifice and this has been true throughout history for any people not only us. Patriotism is innate in every national and what the government or leaders in general need to do is ignite it and mobilize it. Then nothing would be impossible for us to achieve.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD JUNE 23/2021
