BY ADDISALEM MULAT
On the subject of the peaceful completion of the 6th National elections, Ethiopians have been pronouncing their infinite happiness and excitement times without number. The election vibe is still fresh a day after the polling time. At the present time, the news is turning out to be the talk of every Tom, Dick, and Harry inhabiting in the length and breadth of the country.
It is common knowledge that a lot has been said and written before the election took shape. To everyone’s dismay, most of the international print and electronic media outlets have been endeavoring to distort the existing reality on the ground time after time. This ill-intent of the media has been widely witnessed in the situation in Tigray state and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Well, though they have been able to perplexing the international community with disinformation and misinformation, the truth has remained on Ethiopia’s side.
In the same manner, the government of Ethiopia has been pulling out all the stops to acquaint the international community with the truth surfacing in every nook and cranny of the Tigray region making use of its diplomats living in various parts of the world. On top of that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia left no stone unturned to give a clear picture of the whole thing going on in the region.
Sad as it might sound; some international media outlets have continued getting off the point pouring cold water on the diplomatic efforts of the government time after time.
Regarding the long-awaited election, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed congratulated Ethiopians on the successful completion of the 6th General Elections while underscoring that Ethiopia treasures international partner countries and organizations that have stood by its side in supporting the democratic transition when a few others let it down.
No matter who won the election, Ethiopia has come out victorious in this election for the Ethiopian people turned out en masse to choose their representatives freely and without fear, he said in a statement sent to the newsroom yesterday.
The premier thanked the leadership and staff of NEBE, political parties, security forces, media houses and journalists, civic societies, election observers, and all that took part in making the election a success.
In stark departure from the reality, some international news cables tried to paint the successful poll negatively. The media tried to strike balance between the tall order and the difficult situations happening in very small areas of the country. They literally tried to give equal weight and compare the incomparable. Holding peaceful and democratic election has nothing to do with the law enforcement operation in Tigray state and the efforts to resolve the humanitarian situation in the state. by using words like famine and conflict and widespread unrest, these media organizations have tried to cast a shadow on the very significance of the poll, they failed though.
Having said that, regarding the 6th National election that took place across the nation, CNN reported under the headline ‘Voting underway in Ethiopia amid conflict and a raging humanitarian crisis’
Ethiopians headed to the polls Monday for a controversial election being carried out amid an ongoing conflict and a raging humanitarian crisis in the country’s northern Tigray region.
Here, CNN’s analysis is absurd. The conflict in Tigray is not a product of the election or democratic rivalry. It was all started by TPLF that appeared hawkish and stubborn.
The TPLF junta was persistently training and backing their cells residing in various parts of the world with the purpose of sowing division amid the various Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples of Ethiopia and making the incumbent unmanageable by instigating clashes along ethnic and religious lines.
In a similar vein, they managed to adapt their electoral law, recognized the democratic commission and orchestra as a fake and unlawful election. Even though the government of Ethiopia made an effort to get to the bottom of the problem through dialogue, they kept on pouring cold water on the government’s effort and confusing people.
The New York Times reported regarding the election in the following way, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed plunged Ethiopia into a war in the Tigray region that spawned atrocities and famine. On Monday, his country goes to the polls. The New York Times while reporting the election said, “As war raged in northern Ethiopia, and the region barreled toward its worst famine in decades, a senior American envoy flew to the Ethiopian capital last month in the hope of persuading Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to pull his country out of a destructive spiral that many fear is tearing it apart.”
The report is far from the truth. There is no gainsaying the fact that the whole thing in the region is heading in the right direction despite minor challenges. And, no war is ongoing currently. What is happing there is brining fugitives to justice.
On contrast, the efforts of the government have been bearing fruit. Nowadays, Ethiopia has been working hard with the object of making the region achieve the intended target.
Contrary to what the media outlet tried to paint the situation in Tigray , Premier Abiy told the BBC after casting his vote in his home town Beshasha, Jimma that there is no hunger in Tigray. There is problem in Tigray and the government is capable of fixing it.
While this is the hard fact, a question remains why the international media continue to report misguided stories.
The Ethiopian Herald had a short stay with Senior Media Communications consultant, Dr. Negussie Teffera regarding the main reason why some international media outlets have been turning a blind eye to the existing reality on the ground. He said, “The very issue that has to be cited here is the source of the benefit they had gained earlier got dried. Hence, the main problem stems from the relation they had with the terrorist TPLF Junta officials. They had a strong bond when they were in power, of course. Apart from the benefit they had garnered from the irresponsible administration, the latter was an absolute lapdog which they can twist to the direction they preferred.
Since the vision they aspired to hit has been well aborted and the strong attachment had been prettily loosen, they know that they will have no hope to regain what they amassed earlier. It is obvious that they were working hand-in-glove with the terrorist TPLF junta intending to make their dream become a reality and fulfill their interests. However, the situation turned upside down and their long-awaited hidden agenda fail to bear fruit and vanished forever.
Although they have well-recognized the reality on the ground, their benefit always weighs. That is why they would like to keep their interest no matter what the cost may be.
He went on to say, “Following the firm relation they have had with Egypt, they would like to quench the trust of their allies as much as possible regarding the Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD). They do not want to face the truth. For the sake of truth, they do not want to see the prosperity of Ethiopia. They do not want Ethiopia’s development and the country to stand on its own feet. To cut a long story short, the reality on the ground emanates from a conflict of interest they had developed earlier,” he opined.
“As the western media always safeguarded the interest of their respective nations, they do not want to familiarize the international community with the truth about others. They do not care about either the sovereignty or the national interest of Ethiopia; it is not surprising if they shout for whom they had vowed to get the sounds of friends—the terrorist heard loud in return of what they received. To this end, they run in all directions to disseminate their set agenda and get back what they have lost before.” he wrapped up.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD JUNE 23/2021
