Ethiopia has always been a multiethnic and multi-national country from time immemorial. The diversity cherished in the country to date has always underpinned by unity among peoples of this historic country. Why has the battle of ideas between unionists and ethno centrists surfaced up at this juncture in the history of the country? When it comes to any country,
Ethiopia included, diversity is the most natural demographic phenomenon that one can easily observe. In the natural world, everything we come to know with our sense organs is composed of a number of opposite elements that make up a united entity of a natural object. For instance liquid water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen which exist with two opposite charges in water. Likewise, denying the ethnocentric composition of this country is denying the most obvious truth that exists for all to witness.
The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia legally recognized not only the existence of the nations, nationalities and peoples in this country but also ruled that the sovereignty of the country rests in the nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia.
The constitution did not create ethnocentrism anew but certainly declared the type of government that is compatible with the diversity in the country. Ethiopia had a unitary type of government for ages but this type of government failed to not only to recognize the socio-political rights of the peoples of Ethiopia but also suppressed any type of movement that was organized on the basis of self determination. Some “scholars” attempt to equate the prevalence of peace only in a unitary state. They seem to understand the national unity of this country only in the context of a unitary state which was already a failure.
These scholars of the “highest caliber” seem to blame the federal system as the main source of conflict in the country and recommend for dismantling the federal system without recommending the outcomes of such action and the possible alternatives. Even those who seem to perfectly understand the federal order take positions in the discourse on the quest for upgrading the zones into various regions as the constitution allows such rights. Given the direction of the arguments between ethnocentrism and unionism, the argument on both sides becomes irrelevant because the word “unity” presupposes the existence of various entities which would opt for unity.
Those who call only for ethnic exclusiveness need to be reminded that the peoples of this country who have lived in relative harmony for centuries cannot be physically detached from each other by any level of decision. As a matter of fact, the underlying arguments and counter arguments between the ethnocentrism and unionism is an argument on a coin that has two sides united in one comprising the essence of the coin.
The argument, which is in a way “Much Ado About Nothing” as one of Shakespeare’s plays goes becomes groundless and is short of focus. However, it is interesting to carefully note that the arguments basically emanate from political elitism that propounds various political “lines” that are not even known among the peoples of Ethiopia. Some dare to give the peoples of Ethiopia a choice between three sets of ideologies and political systems that are professed by both the ruling and the “competing parties” while they are not even competent enough.
They give a choice for the peoples of Ethiopia between revolutionary democracy, liberal and social democracy options. Revolutionary democracy with all its rhetoric plunged the country into lack of good governance, rent seeking and appalling level of loopholes for systematic theft and embezzlement of public finance and property. Liberalism requires a higher level of the development of democracy and democratic institutions buttressed by a strong national economy advocating for and up keeping the cardinal rights of the individual. Today, social democracy is practiced in number of Scandinavian countries which already provided a higher standard of living for their citizens.
None of these ideologies are perfectly cut for Ethiopia. Ethiopia tried to implement the defunct political view point of Ethiopia Tikdem, National Democratic Revolution, socialism etc but none of these systems ever helped to ascertain development of this country. The ordinary Ethiopian on the streets or in a village is not interested in these ideologies but intends to focus on daily routines the peoples of this country face every day and any political party worthy of the name needs to heed to the ordinary needs of the citizens and show them that they stand for their cause.
In Ethiopia, elitist politics and political intellectualism is so far confined to conference halls and a number of mass rally speeches that have so far been organized and conducted by the parties. The political parties, whether it is the ruling party or the “competing parties” seem to be in a state of limbo to quell unrests in this country. We have not also seen what the “activists” have accomplished by their visits to the regions and the “warm welcome” accorded to them as heroes. Ethiopia is in dire need of foreign currency but the thieves are busy smuggling hard currency and armaments in and out of the country.
The security forces are laboring from dawn to dusk to control the situation but what are the cadres of the ruling and opposition political parties doing to reverse this situation? Who has ever controlled the unregistered commission agents, brokers who are helping to inflate house and vehicle rents in this country? Of course the government is doing its part with its limited capacity but it cannot cover the entire country like a carpet.
The polemics and debates among the political parties is somehow being conducted in conference halls in the presence of concerned government officials but when are they going to aware the public on what kind of political programs they have? In less than two years time a national election is to be held in this country but some of the political parties seem to be confined to conducting press conferences on selected issues of their interests.
The prime minister is constantly calling for peace, unity and collective action against thieves but to what extent is the public and political parties responding to these calls? Nobody can give peace and development for this country on a clean and readymade plate. All citizens, stakeholders’ in government structures, the private sector, civil society organizations need to come up with programmatic interventions not only about the regular development programs of the country but also on urgent issues of peace and development in the country. A number of peace conferences have been conducted at the national, regional and zonal levels but what is their outcome and why did the unrests continued unabated? What is missing from the entire process? It is very important to fix up these issues as a major precondition for conducting peaceful, credible and participatory democratic election in the coming year and a couple of months. The political polemics in this country need to be conducted in the framework of the reforms in Ethiopia, not in reverse gear but in forgiveness, love and respect for the peoples of Ethiopia, not through the battle of guns but through the battle of ideas as the prime minister stresses in his public addresses.
Herald December 27/2018
BY SOLOMON DIBABA
