BY STAFF REPORTER
Abate Kisho is among the veteran politicians of the country especially during the last three decades. After serving as Chief Administrator of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples State for years, he was removed from his post due to disagreement with the TPLF dominated regime. Now he is serving as executive member of the national Peace and Reconciliation Commission. Ethiopian Press Agency has recently interviewed Abate on the recently held national general elections, the GERD and ongoing activities of the Peace and Reconciliation Commission. Have a nice read:
The government has been thanking various stakeholders for the success of the election. Yet many, especially in the West, are already skeptical that the election will end peacefully. But the election ended peacefully. What do you think is the main reason for this?
I have seen many elections during my career. There was also an election during the Derg regime. After the EPRDF assumed power, elections were also held. This is the sixth election this year. I have passed through the three elections during the reign of the EPRDF. However, previous elections have been marred by widespread flaws. The elections were non-participatory. Competing political parties also found it difficult to present their programs to the public. The elections were almost bloody.
Our election in mid-June involved a large number of contestants. In fact, there were initially about 90 parties. Later, however, it was the first time that rival parties competed in this number, although it was around forty. Not only did they participate, but they also went a long way in legislating and debating the election program in the past. This situation is not well known in Ethiopian history. We have seen how politicians have been able to discuss round the table. In addition, we have witnessed in the run-up to elections an organization that brings together political parties, such as the Reconciliation Commission, to bring together political parties in Ethiopia.
We have noticed that this is a very peaceful process and that those who have the vision to move this country together are talking together. I think this issue has created the same spirit among the people. This is a time when the loser is recognized as the winner, and the loser does not have a system that can be built overnight.
As I told you, not everything can be built overnight; if you can understand what is going on now, if you have the courage to ask for a law, then the way is right.
As you said, the foreign media did not think the election would go smoothly. By the way, neither these countries nor their media outlets know Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a country with a long history. The country is three thousand years old. Countries that are currently under pressure are the latest. The fact that they did not know Ethiopia and the Ethiopians in their lifetime indicates that they did not realize that they were a people who came with their own system as a government.
The Ethiopian people are voting for themselves, not for the United States or the West. The leader also taught that he did not expect the other party to decide, but only when his own people decided for him.
Because we have heard them confirm this in their promises. On the day voting a small number of voters cast their ballots in the by-elections. I have been able to vote myself and we have reached a point where almost all of the votes are valid.
To tell the truth the elections of the past have given their own lessons. Therefore, it can be considered as an election that can lead us to a democratic and peaceful process. We have seen a big problem during elections, not only in a country where democracy is still in its infancy, but also in countries that claim to be enjoying democracy the most. In this case, the problem in the United States can be seen even more recently.
Foreign observers, who were unable to observe the election, could not say a word when they noticed that the election had ended peacefully. When they look for the wrong thing they are used to, they get frustrated and amazed that they have no reason to vote.
I don’t care if any party wins or loses this election. But when we look at the election process, no one is forced to cast their vote. The Board is required to properly consider the discrepancies in the proceedings and the judiciary to make appropriate judgments. I think it is especially important to make a decision that is convincing to the people.
They have shown this in some way. For example, the fact that even some of the party members in the House of Representatives are running in the by-elections indicates that the judiciary is on the verge of becoming a reality. This is a good sign in the Ethiopian judiciary. This is just the beginning. But it has to take root. The biggest flaw was the lack of independence of the judiciary.
Therefore, it is promising to conduct elections in this way and to stand firm for justice, and to show a commitment to justice. It is no secret that we invite foreigners to come and observe the election, but it is not a matter of seeking their approval. We have come to the conclusion that the election we are holding is for the people of our country. Our country has always been in the test. And I think that being in temptation gives us the strength to overcome. All this time we are seeing great hope and results.
The Prime Minister praised the media and said he would be happy if the next parliament convenes with more than one party. How do you feel about that?
I think there are a lot of political rivals at the event, but I think they have a lot of work to do. Results are not obtained through prayer; results come through work, not desire. As you know, there is not much that the parliament can look forward to. By that I do not mean that there will be riots in the parliaments, as in some countries. There should be a difference of opinion in parliament. What is lacking in one can be filled with the idea of the other. In this way, we will all benefit from the opportunity to build a country.
Still, if the result we are hearing comes from one end of the spectrum, accepting the result is a matter of course, especially for competitors who need to focus on homework. It is better to unite than to increase the number of parties. People prefer thinking. I don’t think the number of parties in our country should be so wide; the party, which had about 40 members, should have been divided into three groups. If they had been organized in such a way, they would have been more likely to join parliament.
The more parties there are, the less likely they are to get results. Therefore, if the parties are unwilling to work closely mutual issues, we will not be able to see the diversity and beauty of the parliament in such a journey. Of course, the prime minister’s wishes are good. I think competitors from this ambition should realize what we have learned this year. I think they should still consider whether we are going to make a difference or whether we should work together and compete for prosperity.
A second round of filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is expected in the coming days. But what do the Westerners, the Arab League and the United States, have to say about Egypt?
It is unfortunate that we have always lived in an unjust world in the way that foreign powers have described it as a poor and rich country. Anyway, I think they understood who Ethiopia is from the last election. I am of the opinion that those who expect a lot of crisis during the election can learn a lot from the peace of the election. River Abbay is our natural resource. But they have no authority to enter our house and do whatever they want, saying that you should never touch this water. In the meantime, it’s amazing when they shout that nothing has happened to human rights or help.
Abbay originates in Ethiopia. So it would appropriate to charge the Egyptians for the water that was flowing to their country so far. It is not fair for Ethiopians to live in darkness while we are living in darkness due to lack of electricity. They have been fighting with each other before and want to get out of development. They are planning to clash with each other and weaken Ethiopia’s capacity. There are those who think that this agenda still works today. But this is wrong. So we have the right to generate electricity and get our country out of the dark. We have not touched anyone’s property, But this is what we are doing because it is our right to use our water resources. Egypt’s approach is unfair. We do not follow that path.
We will continue our work by replacing injustice with justice. The stronger the enemy, the stronger our union becomes and the more united we become. So the second round filling would be accomplished. I think we will enjoy the first good news of light this year as well. Just as we successfully completed the election, we will successfully complete the second round.
What is the current status of the National Reconciliation Commission? Some peace activists say the government and the people need to be reconciled. How do you explain this?
Such a commission has been established in up to 40 countries around the world. For example, among the African countries that have established the National Reconciliation Commission are Ghana, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, and we have been able to draw on the experience of South Africa and Kenya.
When such a commission is established and implemented, it will help the people of a country to stop arguing in the past. Reconciliation means moving from the past to a full-fledged position and vision through transitional justice.
It is to enable the people to build their common country together without being divided by language, religion and culture. It means that you forget the past narrative or solve the resentment and fragmentation based on the past narrative.
The commission works on transitional justice; But during this transition period, we faced many challenges. One of the obstacles to reconciliation is the ongoing displacement, civil strife, the war, the pressure on the Renaissance Dam, and many other issues that we have faced during this transition.
Nevertheless, when the Reconciliation Commission was formed by committees in all regions, what was the problem? What is the indigenous knowledge of our community? He did research on what kind of knowledge there is. At the national level, he has held various meetings on the agenda of creating inter-generational peace.
Usually, the solution is national dialogue. As a result, it has worked to bring them closer together for discussion. This is not its main job. But the main job is paving the way. Work is underway to engage the people in public and to mobilize the people as part of the solution, as well as to make the rival parties openly discuss agendas that affect our country.
We have recently conducted our annual review, which will be available to the public in 2014. We will set up a large national reconciliation table. This will involve the whole community. This is not a one-time event; it is a system of reconciliation. And the committee that started it will not end it; it will continue. You need to build a bridge in the future. The purpose of this bridge is to connect the new generation and the previous generation.
It reconciles even the youth. In the past, the commission has worked extensively on university students. It was discussed in all the 45 universities in Ethiopia that the youth should take responsibility and understand why peace and reconciliation is far from over. The reason the young person needs to talk is because there is always someone who can use them. Therefore, it is also possible for them to identify the enemy line that hinders their journey and come up with a common solution.
The current problems and challenges in Ethiopia have delayed the commission’s work, he said. But what is the reason for the delay, as it is too late for the commission to address this problem more urgently?
As I said before, all the challenges of this country are reflected in the Reconciliation Commission. When you go somewhere and start solving an existing problem, new problems arise. The Reconciliation Commission can do nothing about such conflicts. That conflict is a problem if the army does not come in calm it down.
For example, in the case of a conflict in Benishangul-Gumz, Ataye, or any other area, the area must be stabilized before the commission can act. As you know, there is not a lot of unrest in the last two years. Therefore, it is only after the commission has settled down that it can reach out to the public and do its job. Therefore, we have to work in this way without giving up. Although the challenges may seem daunting, we never give up; we are confident that the Ethiopian people will be reconciled.
Thank you
My Pleasure
The Ethiopian Herald July 2021
