Mother Ethiopia is crying for a Leader!

By Biadeglegne Tesfaye*

Mar 25, 2006 — Oh Lord! Please God! If you are listening! Please give me a leader! I will get the democracy, the peace, the security, the unity and the way out of my poverty, if I only get a good leader!

What I want from you is just a good leader!

If one has the spiritual and perhaps intellectual power and strength with sincerity to listen closely to our beautiful mother land, Ethiopia, this is what she has been crying, for at least the last three decades! Why all this suffering to our people? Why?

Are we Ethiopians destined for poverty, violence and crisis? Don’t our people deserve peace? Can’t we change when the world is changing? What is going on with us, especially the so called political elites? Are we cursed, as what our ordinary people think we are? How long can we continue dashing our people’s hopes and prayers, condemning them to misery and crisis?

All these seem simple and naïve questions for simple answers. But, they are not. These are echoes of millions of innocent Ethiopians, who are powerless and helpless; disillusioned by the so called political leaders, right or left. These are questions, which all of our friends around the globe are asking: why this great country continues to suffer so much for so long. It is tragic how a great opportunity for a new era of peace, unity, stability and progress (economic, social and political) for our country, which can’t easily come in history, vanish so easily, because of shortsightedness, selfishness, rigidity and total contempt for our people, on the part of so called political leaders (or I should say from here on the elite).

We shouldn’t blame anybody outside of our country for our chronic crisis and shame. We shouldn’t beg mediators from outside to bring us peace either. (After all, very rarely did outsiders bring peace to our country, except to indulge in intermittent threats and encroaches on her dignity, national pride and rich territories, while envying its independence and long history). We had enough things to beg for; food, shelter, medicine and all necessities of survival for our people. We shouldn’t beg outsiders to bring us peace, help us solve our internal problems, or for that matter, even not to help the current authoritarian regime. We shouldn’t blame our people either for the crisis, because they are the victims. We shouldn’t blame even each other, because blame is not the solution. Let’s just calm down a little bit and ask ourselves soberly (each one of us individually and collectively), what we can do to change this tragic course; break the cycle of violence, poverty and crisis in our country and free our people from misery once and for all!

Who could have imagined the great joy, hope and aspiration of millions of our people that glimmered and shined on May-15-05 would completely turn into grief, despair and tears? Who could have thought innocent mothers, fathers, children and youngsters would be slaughtered in broad daylight simply because they thought a new day is beginning and put their high expectations of freedom, peace, growth and prosperity on the line, to test what they were told is known as democracy! Who could have thought the leaders whom they elected to symbolize their hope and aspirations, it doesn’t matter for better or worse, would be rounded and herded to jail as ordinary criminals to face life imprisonment and death! Who could have thought thousands of youngsters (the hope for the new Ethiopia, who are always the first ones to put their lives on the front line to defend the freedom, pride and dignity of our country) would be picked day and night from their homes, work and streets by evil forces and end up thrown into remote jails, where no one knows how many and why they are there.

I hope if the current leaders have some senses of humanity left in their spirit; a grain of love for their country and their people, and may be a soft heart, they will feel this cry of our country, and reverse course, before it is too late! Today, democracy has become a far dream for our people. What they are fighting for is now simply for their basic human rights, to live in peace, hope and dignity, to pray with their poverty and struggle for survival, which they have been doing and persevered for generations. Socialism gave them night mare and now what the elite calls democracy is giving them a hell. Life a few days before May-15-05 and after is a lot different for Ethiopians today.

It is a historic irony, perhaps symbolizing the complexities of our country; May-05 may be remembered in Ethiopian history both as a dawn and twilight, where high hope and despair crossed each other in a dramatic juncture for our people. Our people were once again betrayed! They once again lost hope for peace and a way out from their misery, thanks to our shortsighted and selfish leaders! Our people clearly demonstrated in May-05, that it is not only they are ready, but they know well in their own way, what democracy means. They showed that with their characteristic dignity, discipline, confidence and peaceful nature. But, at the same time, they also aptly and quietly in a subtle way demonstrated what they lacked for so long is not democracy per se but good leaders.

It seems the leaders of EPRDF didn’t understand this, because they live in a different world from our people. They live in a palace, and palace life blinds. They try to tell the world and our people that everything is fine now! Peace is prevailing in the country! Perhaps, this reminds one the classic tale during the prelude of the French Revolution in 1789, when queen Marie Antoinette was rumored to have said “Let them eat cake” to the starving protestors, who stormed the palace shouting for bread. The EPRDF leaders should have been the first ones to realize that a true and lasting peace can’t be imposed by force. The silent discontent that is simmering all over the country now could easily and spontaneously explode, sooner or later, unless it is calmed with true peace and justice, before it is too late. No amount of force could stop it once it erupts, and the outcome could be catastrophic both to them and our people! No one should want that unless they are insane.

The solution to the current crisis is not violence or show of force. It is neither the use of the state apparatus including the so called independent court system, in an insidious and cynical way to silence and intimidate genuine dissent and democratic opposition. For that matter, the perpetual crisis can’t be solved either by displaying any number of so called economic (GNP) growth statistics propagated to provide a false hope to our people or deceive the world. A genuine and lasting economic growth stems only from peace, stability, national unity and security. Those can’t be attained without the full participation of the citizens to voice and have their say on their future, in a truly democratic system and process that respects their basic human rights and ensures justice in the society.

The Ethiopian situation is so desperate and complex, time is of the essence, to avoid total eruption of the society and a spiral slide into an unforeseen disaster, which is currently on the horizon. The right solutions to the dire and complex situations in our country may only be found by a wise and careful political move, with the unity and hopefully sincerity of the political elite to work together and seek a lasting remedy, dropping grudges, hatred and vindictiveness. This requires trust, confidence, selflessness and tolerance among the members of this group, and most of all a visionary, wise and charismatic leader who is capable of unifying and rallying this group and the country at large for the noble goals of peace, stability, democracy and progress.

I am afraid PM Meles seems to have lost this great historic opportunity, the chance to leave a great legacy and lead our country on the right direction to a lasting peace, unity, security, strength, growth and prosperity. He has to make a genuine but careful move with positive changes to correct the current crisis, before it is too late. He has to win the confidence of our people to stabilize the situation and bring back the country to the right direction, if he wants to have a grip on this historic opportunity, before it totally slips out of his hands and vanish.

I strongly believe the first wise step to this direction is to release the popularly elected leaders, human rights activists, journalists and thousands of innocent Ethiopians who are languishing in jails across the country, simply because they stood for justice, freedom and democracy. It doesn’t matter what mistakes they did. Who else doesn’t make mistakes, especially in a complex and dynamic process as the events of the May-15-05 elections? The P.M. himself has committed many grave mistakes much worse than that. But, this should not be a matter of scoring points and relieving grudges. Releasing the political prisoners, could pave the way for bringing the country together; regain confidence on the political leadership and the democratic process. Even if there were mistakes made along the way in an unpredictable road and tense moments in the historic election process (be it by the government or the opposition) that should be understood as a terrible pain during an attempt of birth and transition to a new social and political order.

Unfortunately, it is our people as usual who paid and are still paying the highest price from these grave mistakes. In any case, we should draw a lesson from it, correct our mistakes, come together and move on to the next stage to reach our dreams of freedom, democracy and progress for our beloved country and great people. We were fortunate to have such a great country, but unfortunate enough not to know how to protect and pass it to the next generation, which our ancestors gave us with great distinction and sacrifices. This is not a time for rhetoric, hatred, vengeance and revenge. It should be a time of peace and reconciliation, for the sake of our country. Anger and hatred will only deepen the crisis and the misery of our people threatening the very existence of our country, as one nation. It is important to keep in mind that force doesn’t guarantee peace and national unity as well as stability. If that was case, Dergue would have been alive until today. The EPRDF leaders should know better this truth, more than others.

Currently, it is not only the opposition leaders but the whole democratic process and the nation itself that is arrested. Mr. Meles has a historic responsibility to release them, and rekindle a genuine dialogue with all members of the opposition, primarily those elected by the people. Otherwise, democracy will be a mockery and will never be taken seriously by the people or anyone genuine. All the measures he is taking will be seen as caricatures of democracy filled with demagogy and hypocrisy to deceive and subjugate the people under the yoke of an authoritarian regime for ever. I will come to this in my last section on my recommendations for a way out from our current crisis. Let me go back and focus for now on my topic for this article – leadership.

Why is it getting good leaders become so difficult for our country?

To be honest, I don’t have a clue for this question, in particular. I wish someone shares with me their wisdom on this. But, let me try to tackle it and give my perspectives on this critical question. They say political leaders are born in struggles. For that matter, our people have been struggling for decades amidst abject poverty, violence and political crisis, both in urban and rural areas, on all corners of the country. They have been crying for good leaders who might have the power and wisdom to guide them to peace, freedom and a way out from their misery. But, so far, in the last half a century, our country couldn’t produce a single leader who has the capacity to pull her out of the doldrums. Why?

Political leaders are products of the internal dynamics, unique history, political culture and socio-economic relations of a society. But, on the other hand, political leaders also play a key role in shaping history. They give birth, raise and cultivate a political culture. Therefore, one might say there is a symbiotic relationship between a leader and a political culture. It seems to me our country has a fertile ground for cultivating both a good leader and a good political culture (peaceful and democratic). But, the puzzling questions still remain unanswered. Why aren’t we then able to produce good leaders? Why is our country in a perpetual mess and political crisis for such a long time (at least 30 years), which one may rightfully refer to as a violent political culture?

In this article, I will try to give my modest perspectives for finding a clue to these critical questions. During my discussions I will be a little over critical on the political elite, because I believe this social group is largely responsible to the current political crisis and the continued misery of our people, especially for the lack of good leaders.

I don’t claim I have ready made solutions to our problems or a magical remedy for our current crisis. But, I am hoping to provoke the critical and inquisitive minds of at least a few members of the so called political elite, by these discussions. I am hoping there are still a few members in this group, who might be less partisan but genuine enough to strive for impartial and objective solutions to our current crisis. I would say these Ethiopians are those who love their country more than power or special privileges and benefits (real or imagined) that may be ripe from power or political crisis, at the expense of our people. These are people who are less egoistic and may have the capacity and courage to conduct self diagnosis of their personal character and political views, both on the past and the current crisis as well as the future destiny of our beloved country. These may be people who are relatively less emotional and rhetoric and can think calmly to seek solutions, which is a big challenge in these difficult and testing times. But, I admit that these people are still part of the political elite, and their views will be naturally affected by the current crisis. Who didn’t? It is hard to be objective or unemotional during these disturbing times. But, emotions cloud a rational mind. That is why we need to struggle to manage our emotions and think calmly, to seek genuine solutions to our crisis.

I don’t doubt either the importance of the political elite, because future political leaders, for better or worse, are potentially cultivated and produced from this social group. In addition, many in the political elite had also made big sacrifices while struggling to change the life of our country for the better. But, I believe a significant portion of this sacrifice was also due to self inflicted wounds, which were again partially demonstrated in our current crisis, déjà vu, after the May-05 election. I hope you will understand me, if I am overcritical on this group, because I believe the Ethiopian political elite had been perhaps one of the most destructive forces and the primary cause (if not the main cause) for our political crisis and continued misery of our people and country. I am not trying to shift or dilute the responsibility for the current crisis from the authoritarian regime of EPRDF. But, it is important to note the current leaders on both sides (opposition and government) are members of this same social group (the political elite) and by and large came from the same generation. Before I dwell on the weaknesses of this social group head on, let me try to tackle some related basic questions, which might help us to unearth the roots to our current political crisis, and perhaps see remedies as well.

Are there fertile grounds for growing potentially good political leaders in Ethiopia?

Our beautiful and ancient country has been blessed with great people, abundant natural resources, a rich history and a deep, broad and colorful culture. Our people love peace and they are one of the most peaceful people in the world. Ethiopia is a country where numerous languages are spoken and many ethnic groups have lived side by side for centuries in tolerance, peace and harmony. It is one of the very few countries in Africa, perhaps in the world, despite its large number and size of ethnic groups, had never experienced in its long history, any large scale social strife or civil war based on ethnicity.

Ethiopians are very honest, sincere, faithful and God loving people. They are polite, humble and confident. Picture a 10 year old kid (boy or girl) in the country side, north or south, east or west, from any ethnic group and read the smiles in their faces. You will see the humbleness and confidence of the country clearly exhibited on their beautiful faces. These are mirrors of a proud and matured nation with a long history and deep traditions.

Ethiopians are patient people, full of courage and pride. They take time to grief but persist when they defy injustice. They are loyal to their traditions and history. They are humane. Ethiopians love their country intensely and are very patriotic. They seem weak physically but are very strong spiritually. They are fearless when they rise, because they are steeled and tested by centuries of perseverance and endurance to hardships.

These are all good traits of the Ethiopian people, which are reflections of their deeply held values, traditions and a long and rich history. These traits are the sources of their pride and perhaps their conservatism as well. Any political leader who doesn’t take these traits and deeply held values into serious consideration can’t succeed to govern and lead the country, or be able to build its own political philosophy and political culture, for better or worse.

Ethiopians don’t like leaders with no values; who lie and are dishonest, disrespectful or arrogant. They love leaders who listen to them and respect them. They love and respect leaders who love their beloved country. Leaders who betray their country and are less patriotic often don’t last long. It has been proven several times in the country’s long history that leaders who tried to impose their own belief, thinking or political philosophy (home grown or foreign source) with arrogance or without the tacit approval, consensus and full consent of the people would fail sooner or later. Unfortunately, in the process, those types of leaders commit grave mistakes and inflict great damages to the society, which become hard to repair. They tear the social fabric and harm the traditional values and institutions, while they attempt to bring change by force. In the meantime, precious times are lost; the country stalls; lagging behind others and going backwards instead of forward. It takes a good leader to recover the country from her wounds and put her back on the right track. It takes an exceptional leader to face that responsibility, because the challenges could be intricate and the obstacles insurmountable, as in the situation since the fall of Haile Sellassie and especially later the Dergue.

Unfortunately, it seems the political elite on both sides of the aisle (opposition and government) are not still ready, even though our people are for this critical responsibility, to recover the country from the wounds of the reign of terror under the Dergue. This takes patience, wisdom, compromise and tolerance, which this group lacks. The country gave the EPRDF leaders in particular, the benefit of the doubt to assume this high responsibility of leadership and lift our people to freedom, national pride, peace and prosperity. But, these leaders fell short of that responsibility and trust. They couldn’t draw a lesson from the past, and the country unfortunately continues to pay huge prices and sacrifices under a marsh of political crisis and perpetual poverty, which continues to deepen rather than dry out. Perhaps, the main weakness of the elite can be summed up in one word – intolerance. Intolerance leads to violence unless properly managed, while tolerance is the key to a genuine peace and democracy.

Ethiopians are forgiving. They may hold grudges, but at the same time easily forgive someone who is humble, honest and is strong enough to admit his/her mistakes in front of respected mediators, judges or the elderly and wiser citizens. Ethiopians know how to reach consensus (not even just majority rule) and move on to live and work together in peaceful coexistence and unity for the sake of their common goals and dreams (to secure and maintain continuity of their roots, family, village, tribe, ethnic group and the nation). That has been our tradition for centuries. That is part and parcel of a rich tolerant culture, which unfortunately the political elite failed to grasp and take advantage of. The political elite are filled with conceit, arrogance, and suspicion and in many ways hatred and revenge, all capped by intolerance to any view including political differences.

Ethiopians value the authority of long-held traditions. They abide by norms, values and traditional laws, because they believe in faith, spiritual power, tradition and history as well as the weight of society and elders. For centuries, the respected elders had played a key role in the society by serving as good leaders to provide guidance and continuity as well as peace, harmony and stability to the country. In fact until at least the fall of Haile Sellassie, the traditional social court systems functioned vibrantly and elaborately, side by side, at times overshadowing the conventional bureaucracy among various ethnic groups, north or south, east or west. They still function in many corners of the society, which a modern democratic society doesn’t have and could envy. These are both simple and complex social webs and rules that held together this culturally rich and traditionally colorful society for ages by bridging the gaps across all ethnic groups, nomads and settlers, rural and urban alike. And yet, the political elite seem to have developed a totally opposite culture, which is in fact a hindrance to the development of a democratic system.

The long held ?political culture’ of the society across all its different corners and ethnic groups, by and large is also reflected in these great traditions, values and traits of our people. Perhaps, that is why the country survived for so long in unity, sustained by these strong qualities, in the face of occasional political crisis; continuous threats from outsiders, and I might add, for better or worse, from modern influences as well.

In my judgment, most if not all of these traits are fertile grounds for cultivating good social and political leaders, and I might add democratic ones. One doesn’t need to borrow political dogma from outside to teach Ethiopians to live in peace and in harmony. In fact, the foreign dogma had turned out to be very destructive and an instrument of power for suppressing the great cultures of our people by the political elite or a means to divide and weaken the country. This was reflected in the philosophy of class struggle, which the Dergue propagated in order to rule by force in the name of socialism, but failed. EPRDF seems to be making the same tragic mistake like the Dergue by adopting it’s own foreign ideological dogma at face value i.e. Stalin’s thesis on national self determination and secession, which has been creating havoc in the country, in the name of democracy. Unless this doctrine in the constitution is amended to reflect the reality and history of the country, it is almost certain sooner or later it will lead to tragic consequences. A good leader will lead by maintaining national unity and pride rather than by instilling suspicion, division, mistrust and rivalry among the population by exaggerating ethnic and other social differences, in a misguided and wrong foreign doctrine and dogma. Fortunately, the Ethiopian people with their characteristic tolerance, wisdom and traditional respect for unity and love to their country, above and beyond their narrow circles of ethnic groups have so far resisted to be carried away by this dogma and slide into an outright violence or civil war. The EPRDF leaders should have built on these great foundations even if they want to correct past mistakes and develop the rights of all ethnic groups for enjoying the fruits of their one country in unity and harmony, rather than encouraging division and separation directly or indirectly. That is not a wise judgment, to say the least, but pure dogma.

The art of a great leadership therefore should not be borrowing from outside an alien political culture and philosophy and work hard stubbornly to impose it on the strong foundations of the society in the name of democracy or an arbitrary “constitution” and “rule of law”. This reflects the highest order of weaknesses in the Ethiopian political elite. During the Dergue era, Ethiopians paid a huge sacrifice in the name of socialism, now they are paying the same price in the name of democracy, by the remnants of the same generation of political elites.

A good leader should guide the country to evolve and grow peacefully by nourishing those traditions and values, which are national treasures and appropriately mixing with modern philosophy and policies for developing progressive socio-economic relationships and political culture. This leader should have the capacity to discern what is suitable for growth and progress from what is potentially obstacle. He/she should have the ability to mobilize the population with vigor to learn and adapt to new and constructive ideas, science, modern education and culture as well as social, political and economic systems. This leader should have the capacity to unite the country with national pride. He should be exemplary to develop the great love, which our people have for this beautiful country and be able to release its great potentials that way she can excel and progress. The dry economic forces alone don’t guarantee progress. In fact, at times, they may unleash turbulence and unrest, unless they are mixed with good judgment and political skills.

This advanced art of political leadership requires an exceptional aptitude and political skills with the capacity to respect history and culture, learn with modesty and humility from the people, keenly observe and understand the complex features of our society. A good leader should have the special ability to smoothly guide the country into the new and higher social, political, economic and cultural order, without turbulence, crisis and a breakdown and a gap in its proud history. Unfortunately, our country has been deprived of such great leaders for years.

However, I am optimistic. Our country can still produce these leaders whether in struggle or freedom. It just took time, and our people continue to pay huge sacrifices. Imagine how many Ethiopians, in millions, died in the last 30 years whether from hunger, poverty, war, political crisis and disease without seeing their dreams and the day light that is taking so long to come.

I strongly believe all of the great virtues in the Ethiopian society and culture are fertile grounds for giving birth and cultivating such good leaders. But, I don’t know why it is taking us so long. The country has all the rich ingredients of a rich soil and political climate to grow good leaders with good characters. Character is a key measure for a quality of a leader. A leader has to be keen to these virtues of his/her country in order to become effective and succeed. He/she has to genuinely listen to the people and constantly learn from them, because the people represent history, traditions and values of the country. One of the key principles for a good leader should be to love his/her country and people and show respect. I believe the current leaders lack this important ingredient, partly because they believe in guns rather than our people. They should have the courage to reexamine their course, the road they took in the last 15 years. Whether EPRDF continues as a ruling party or an opposition in a multi-party democratic system (let’s hope!), they need to change direction. But, it will be smart for them, if they change while they are still in power, before it is too late. Sooner or later they will be going to history, but it is better to go with a good legacy.

Of course, a good leader has to lead not always follow the people. He/she has to generate vision and new ideas. But he/she also needs to lead by persuasion and consensus rather than violence, coercion and sheer force, in order to maintain power or implement his/her visions and ideas. That is basically the essence of democracy. He/she has to be accountable to the people and the country. In the end, a good leader has to educate and learn or you might say lead and be led at the same time. I will leave you to evaluate the current leader (s) for yourself with all these yardsticks. I mean to be fair, those leaders on both sides of the political spectrum (opposition and government), not just the EPRDF leaders (or P.M. Meles) alone. One may argue that the two forces shouldn’t be measured by the same yardstick, because EPRDF leaders have political power, while the opposition doesn’t. Therefore it is not fair. But, I am sorry. I don’t agree. If we have the luxury of a democratic system, the people need to scrutinize their leaders from the beginning, long before they are in the palace i.e. when they run for candidacy. If you notice, I am also not stating national policies as a yardstick for measuring the quality of a leader. In a good democratic system, polices can be changed. But, characters are not easy to change. My main focus here is on character and personality traits vis-à-vis our people’s good traditions and character virtues.

Are there fertile grounds in Ethiopia suitable for the birth of democracy?

The answer is a resounding yes! I have no doubt in my mind. Witness the May-15-05 elections alone. But, that is not all. Our country is best suited for democracy. The challenge is again how to implement it. That is where the question of leadership comes. We don’t even have to import all of the experiences and constitutions from the western countries. A good leader has to look inside first. Look at South Africa. They cultivated their democracy with home grown institutions and so far with great successes, thanks to one important factor-leadership: a far sighted, wise, determined, selfless and charismatic leader, of course, the role model for world leaders-Nelson Mandela. Thank God he is from Africa, where the whole world, especially the West believed the continent is hopeless; can’t produce leaders. Mandela restored our pride and dignity. He gave hope for Africa. I am hopeful and confident Ethiopia will get its own good leaders too, may be not in our life time. But, remember we had those types of great leaders in our long history too. Unfortunately, the political elite including the current leaders didn’t learn from them, worse they are undermining and ridiculing them. (I don’t want to be carried away by that, because it makes me emotional. Let me go back to my topic).

The deep rooted traditional values in a country such as Ethiopia, when mixed with a political outlook or ideology that is borrowed from outside or associated with the influence of modernization produce their own internal dynamics and tensions. This is especially true if the outside influences are potentially incompatible with the long held values and traditions of the society. These tensions could create their own internal heat and erupt into full scale social turmoil and political violence, if not properly handled. As a result, they could also affect the birth, growth and development of a new and progressive political culture.

Fortunately, as I said earlier, Ethiopians have a great culture, which I think is truly conducive for the growth of democracy. Simply put, Ethiopians are tolerant and peace loving people. The two are inherent ingredients in the concept of democracy. (Please save the political elite here too).

The fact that Ethiopians are ready for a democratic political system was convincingly and amazingly shown in the historic May-15-05 election. The birth of democracy was aborted unfortunately, because the political elite were not ready for it. This is despite the fact that they have been preaching democracy for years, especially after the fall of the brutal regime under Mengistu Haile Mariam, who used a self styled socialist ideology to rationalize its absolute dictatorship. What is perhaps unique in the Ethiopian political elite’s history is that they commit suicide both by fighting each other and serving their enemy to kill them. Essentially, the Dergue regime was an amalgamated social group from the military and opportunists from the civil servants. It was guided by a so called socialist ideology, which it happily adopted from the political elite to rationalize its dictatorship and terror. Some of those members of the elite who served him well are still alive working hard to climb the wagon of democracy, and in some ways contributing to our current crisis by spreading hatred and intolerance.

When I say the elite, I am keenly aware how members from both camps would feel (opposition and EPRDF). I realize they are working hard to cultivate staunch members from the elite who could be sharp enough to articulate the curse and blame on the other side, to find a responsible group for the failure of our short-lived democratic process. This was a process, which felt so promising and extraordinary, until after the historic election results of May-15-05 that shocked and surprised the elite too, including those in power. But, I am consciously and deliberately avoiding the blame game because I decline to fall victim to a toxic political atmosphere and culture that the elite had managed to successfully develop over the last few decades. This culture is ridden with suspicion, sectarianism, extremism, arrogance and contempt for our people.

Obviously, the political elite are not a homogeneous group and it is not expected they be. But, when one sees over 60 political groups registered as political parties of all sorts representing sectors ranging from a small social circle or ethnic group to the entire nation, one can’t help to wonder that something is wrong in our society or the democratic process. But, they all have one thing in common-the lust for power. Most also came together because they hated the current government, while they harbored their deep hatred and suspicions among themselves. The leaders in all these groups feel that they know better than anyone else to run the country, including, of course, than the current ones who hold power dearly (EPRDF). In this kind of political landscape, one wonders what would exactly happen in Ethiopia even if the current authoritarian regime of EPRDF is pushed out office, willingly or unwillingly, which is inevitable anyway sooner or later. In short, I believe the leadership crisis in Ethiopia will be well and alive at least for the foreseeable future, with or without EPRDF, unless a transition period with a genuine democratic process is put forward to sort out the mess, and hopefully give birth to genuine and charismatic leaders. The current opposition leaders who sacrificed their families and risked their lives to reach this dream also deserve to be given the chance and have their rights respected in the democratic process, not in an unjust court system. This is especially just and the right thing to do, because they wee elected by the people.

I believe the ideal situation for a healthy development of the democratic process would have been if the opposition and the current ruling party would work together at least for a while, in some workable formula. Ironically, I also strongly believe the EPRDF and the opposition (in particular CUD) would need each other for the sake of their own survival not just for the survival of the democratic process and the country. But, both were shortsighted and blinded by power, which led the country into a tragic crisis. Politics is give and take. Principle is always tempered by reality. Yes, our people made a choice believing that the elite had learned a lesson from the past. But, unfortunately, they didn’t. What is worse, both sides kept digging into more trouble and mistakes, instead of compromise, which led the country into violence and as always great sacrifices to our innocent citizens. As expected, rigidity, anger, hatred, suspicion and intolerance, all traits of the elite came into interplay in a dramatic fashion, and the great achievements of our people, a historic opportunity to lift our country from perpetual crisis and lead her into freedom, peace and prosperity was lost. Our people also lost hope in democracy! It will never be the same. It takes a great effort to recover that hope and optimism. I only hope we come to our senses and recover this hope before it dies, for the sake of our people and country! Otherwise, a democratic system for our people might be lagging for generations, at best.

The Ethiopian political elite are strong at blaming each other, but weak and fearful of being self critical, until long after failure, at best. (Witness the factions and divisions now even while the lives of the leaders are at stake). Even after mistakes or failure, they don’t carry a genuine self examination. They work hard to embellish and gloss over their mistakes in order to live good names for history. Admitting mistakes is considered to be a weakness in the political culture of the elite unlike the society at large. (I will come back to this at some point later, because I know it is important and sensitive to some. Let me focus for now on leadership).

The historic event of May15-05 was a great surprise, short of being a culture shock, both to outsiders and insiders, the opposition and the government (EPRDF) alike, even though they still didn’t admit it. None of them believed deep inside their hearts that the people will turn out in masses all over the country to peacefully determine their future and political destinies. This is because the political elite believed the people knew very little or practically nothing about democracy. They were convinced only they (the elite) know much better about democracy (based on books) rather than the people (based on traditions). I am not trying to undermine the fact that both the opposition and the government played an important role in raising this political consciousness among the population over the last few years. The opposition especially (those inside the country in particular) deserves a great credit for this, because it was not easy to navigate the EPRDF security apparatus and intimidation to accomplish such a great fit in a relatively short period of time.

However, they were rigid and lacked the flexibility to quickly adapt to reality. It was a little naïve to expect that EPRDF would easily give up power however much they preach and prophesize democracy. Of course, the events of May-05 elections were too fast to comprehend the immediate twists and turns. The situation was also very delicate and dynamic. But, there was no need to be carried away by these events. Good leaders calculate risks and know how to lead on decisive moments. They develop alternate plans and drop and pick at the right moment. The EPRDF leaders were more decisive in their own way than the opposition, because they were prepared. They were quick to curtail the democratic process when they realized that it went too far i.e. close to their power, because they were not ready to give up power in the first place. The opposition forgot that because they had great expectations. As a result, they quickly entered into a head on collusion, and the results are what we know today.

The elite, political dogma and our country’s history:

There was another weakness of the political elite (which applies to both camps – opposition and EPRDF). Overall, the elite had been busy for years reading and lecturing about the east and west European history, political philosophy and ideologies rather than trying to keenly respect and understand the history, values and traditions of their own people and country. It is an open secret that the Ethiopian political elite tend to be overcritical, suspicious and cynical of the long held traditions and history of their own country. This is perhaps best illustrated by the current leaders of EPRDF who happen to believe the Ethiopian history is only a little over one hundred years old!

This is not surprising in a way, because we probably knew more about the Greek philosophy and the history of the Roman Empire rather than the long history of Ethiopia by the time we reach college. As far as I recall, a comprehensive and all rounded Ethiopian history was not thought to students until they reached high school (or perhaps college years). Even then, the history may be distorted and muddled to reflect the borrowed political philosophy or the propaganda, wishes, aspirations and policies of the ruling regime. At best, our country’s long history was simply neglected and discarded to be secondary and unimportant because it was deemed to be backward and feudal. This notion started and took roots especially during the Dergue era and still continues in one way or another under the EPRDF regime.

EPRDF especially reduced Ethiopian history to a dust, mediocrity and confusion by creating an artificial antagonism and contradictions between the Ethiopian history and the history of “nationalities”, as if they are not part and parcel of the history of one country, Ethiopia. They encouraged the separation of Eritrea from Ethiopia and are still flirting with the idea of further dividing the remaining land locked Ethiopia into smaller parts, by providing the “right to secede” for other ethnic groups (this notion inherently assumes Ethiopia is not one country but a country of countries, if there is ever such a thing anywhere). To this day, there are some Ethiopians who prefer to teach their children a foreign language (instead of Amharic) rather than their own country’s diverse culture, languages and history, partly because of the poison EPRDF spread especially degrading one nationality, as if the country’s problems are due to this ethnic group (i.e. the poor Amharas). Any political leader or elite who doesn’t respect and understand his/her country’s history and values will be in an identity crisis for itself, let alone to lift and liberate the country from a crisis. It is a great principle to ensure the equality of all Ethiopians, especially ethnic groups, because Ethiopia is for all, not just for one or a few privileged social, ethnic or political groups. But this equality can’t be ensured by secession. After all, secession doesn’t necessarily guarantee freedom, prosperity and democracy (witness what is going on in Eritrea today, unfortunately, I am not saying it may not change. I respect and sympathize with the Eritrean people and I pray for them to lead a peaceful and democratic life, just as I pray for our people).

There is nothing wrong in admitting mistakes and correcting dogmas. That is a sign of courage and honesty. The experiences in the last 15 years, have clearly demonstrated that the EPRDF dogma of self determination with secession embellished by ethnic federalism is not working properly. It needs to be fixed. There is nothing wrong in improving it, learning from lessons of history and our people. Federalism or decentralization is a good concept and rightfully so. It is one feature of democracy. But, federalism based on ethnicity is the problem. It invites a potential disaster.

No one should advocate Ethiopia should be a country for one or a few ethnic groups who enjoy the political and economic privileges. If there are people in the opposition camp as well, who entertain that idea they better straighten up their thinking. We are in a new age. Just because EPRDF makes mistakes in implementations, it doesn’t mean the principle is wrong (not the dogma, of course). However, the EPRDF leaders should also carefully weigh the effects of their wrong policy on this critical issue. The truth or the right solution is probably somewhere in between. But, this solution can only be found in a democratic process, dialogue, national discussion that involves the people at large not the political elite alone. At the moment, P.M. Meles has the historic responsibility to create this atmosphere more than any body else, even more than the opposition, because he created the problem and he holds the highest power in the land. Good policies cannot be made by vengeance and vindication. They are formed by consensus and listening to the people. That is what good leadership means. Good leaders learn from mistakes and experiences, and they listen to their people closely.

Tolerance and the Ethiopian political elite:

Lack of tolerance is a pitfall that is always reflected on the Ethiopian political elite, even though it doesn’t admit it. That is also one of the root causes for our current political crisis. The political elite in Ethiopia is much less tolerant than our people, gets carried away by outside phrase mongering and is self centered, arrogant and conceited, which boarders ignorance. These are all obstacles to the development of a peaceful and democratic culture. The elite prey on the people for security, patriotism and political power, and yet they turn against our people and the country once they hold on to power, because they love power. These traits lead to factions, sectarianism, intolerance and violence among themselves too. I would argue they are side effects of a “purely modern education” or elitism that is barren and devoid of respect to traditions, values and the unique history of the country, which in sum are critical for successfully developing a new and effective political system or a democratic culture.

If political freedom and basic human rights are secured for our people, they will surely be able to determine their own destinies properly, with their characteristic peaceful nature, humbleness, patience, tolerance and dignity. These are inherent cures for violence and authoritarianism. If our people are not granted freedom, however, there could be perpetual crisis in the country. Sooner or later the patience of our people will run out and they will rise to secure their freedom with their own hands. The tolerance stops there. That shouldn’t be the preferred option; of course, because the price could be too high to burden and the results could be unpredictable, as the experiences following the Yekatit 66 (Feb-74) popular uprisings clearly demonstrated.

Peaceful or armed struggle and uprisings:

Uprisings don’t necessarily lead to good leaders or positive changes. Some in the opposition camp seem to believe if the population rises against EPRDF and succeeds to remove them from power, everything will be well. That is political naivety at best, but short sightedness or may be selfishness at worse. A political vacuum or crisis doesn’t benefit anyone except our enemies. The ideal scenario, good for our people and our country would be peaceful transition, which unfortunately didn’t seem to come so soon, as witnessed in the wake of the May-15-05 election. Some in the opposition camp might think I am naïve too, or have some vested interest with EPRDF. Not at all. You may label me what ever name you may have; after all the elite is good at labeling. I strongly believe that is the best option we have to solve our crisis. We have to be patient, whether we like it or not, and exhaust all possibilities to realize the outcomes of the peaceful road, however limited they are. Obviously, the EPRDF leaders may take this as a weakness of the opposition, and try to take advantage of the situation. But, that is myopic thinking. Loving peace is not being afraid of armed struggle. They did it, but it didn’t bring us peace. It would be an absolute irresponsibility and short sightedness to challenge the opposition to go to the forest and raise arms, as they did during the election process.

Short of peace, of course, the only option left may be political crisis or armed struggle and uprising. There is a great likelihood that may be inevitable and be the logical route unless the current course is reversed hopefully by a joint effort between the EPRDF leaders, the opposition (including those who may have already raised arms i.e. like OLF) and especially with the genuine participation of the population at large. The outcome of an armed uprising could be disastrous with no end in sight, even after long years of struggles and sacrifices. Our people had suffered so much and it will be selfish and irresponsible to make them suffer even more. After all, the ambitious leaders and many of the political elite (both inside and outside the country) will be spared from the sacrifices of armed uprising. It is our people who would face the brunt of the sacrifices.

The very existence of the country as a nation could also be effectively threatened. It is not a matter of showing courage and heroism. In most cases, the elite who propagate those roads (whether from the opposition or government side) don’t pay a price, and that is why they preach or fanaticize with the notions of armed struggle and uprisings, for a quick fix. Both will not guarantee peace and democracy to our people (witness EPRDF), but instead a perpetual crisis, more poverty and perhaps a breakdown of the nation, which is already in a precarious situation, thanks for the most part the policy of EPRDF. That is not what we need to leave for the coming generation, and that is not what our forefathers entrusted us for this beautiful country. We had enough violence and crisis. We should everything we can to break the cycle of violence by peaceful means, however long and frustrating it might be. We must find a better way out than uprising and violence, because we have no choice, at least for now, and the current situation is not in the best interest of the EPRDF leaders, let alone our people. So hopefully they too will come to their senses to seek the way out and break the impasse, which might lead in fact to a spontaneous uprising due to unbearable conditions, frustration and oppression. Unfortunately, at the moment, the EPRDF leaders not the opposition seem to hasten the explosion into a full scale uprising, by using brutal force on the population.

After all, Mengistu Hailemariam was born as a leader after the February -74 popular uprisings. But, uprisings are inevitable, if the sufferings of our people continue, because oppressed people always rise for their freedom and dignity. It is just a matter of time. A smart leader understands this truth, and does everything he can in his power and wisdom to avert a potential upheaval and explosion or a perpetual crisis, hopefully for its own selfish interest, convinced it is not good for its own fate; if not for the sake of the country. Violence is not the best method to avert a crisis and bring peace and stability because violence breeds violence and aggravates the situation. Besides, it is not right. It negates the very tenet of peace and democracy. A genuine economic progress will not be attained too amidst violence and oppression. That is an illusion.

How can we get out of this mess?

Whether we like it or not, political leaders come out of the political elite. However, for better or worse, in Ethiopia, practically all “educated” members of the society are in one way or another also members of this political elite. That by itself is a challenge because everyone in this group thinks they are the best and they only know the solution for the country’s problems. This atmosphere gives rise to ambitious people who stir the group into sectarianism, factionalism and violence while the struggle and dream for power continues forever. In the process, those who are already in power end up being “winners” and manage to stay in power, while their potential contenders fight each other, however long that is. But, our people are the most to lose, continuing to pay heavy prices and sacrifices in misery.

On the other hand, a leader or regime which doesn’t have a grip on handling its differences with members of the elite will be living in a perpetual crisis and his rule would be inherently unstable. The current regime of PM Meles has been at odds from the beginning with this political elite (or “educated group”). (Witness its relations with the university professors, teachers, students and practically everyone in the Diaspora). All these problems coupled with the complex economic, social and political situation in the country and the huge grievances among the population at large have made the solutions for the country’s problems much more complex and difficult to solve.

That is why we need a far sighted, humble and hopefully tolerant and charismatic leader to get us out of this mess. Whether P.M. Meles miraculously transforms himself to be that leader is a big question. This is because he squandered his 15 years reign. But, Ethiopians are forgiving. They can still give him a chance. It remains to be seen, however, if he would his chances. Our people will give him the benefit of the doubt, partly because they want peace. But, it will not be easy for him at this point to win back the hearts and minds of the people and the country, unless he takes prompt, wise and unconventional steps to reverse course and stay in the right direction, for developing the democratic process that heralded on May-15-05, but was short lived. I will come back to this on my final suggestions.

It needs an exceptional leader to heal the wound and guide the country to the right path and liberate it from this chronic depression, pain and violent disease. At the same time, however, it is very difficult to get those types of exceptionally far sighted, able and above all selfless and committed leaders in these difficult times and toxic political atmosphere. I believe the leaders themselves primarily, of course, P.M Meles are responsible for creating this climate. But, I also believe to some extent the opposition is responsible too, because both are from the same stock of political elite, which is handicapped by the illness that I tried to diagnose briefly above. Unless and until the leaders in the Ethiopian political elite avoid seeing power as an end, and genuinely dream like our people dream; wish like our people wish; and struggle for freedom like our people struggle, with modesty and honesty, the country will continue to suffer, torn apart in political crisis. Our people’s dreams will remain unfulfilled, for a long time to come.

This is the dilemma the country is facing today. It is crying for a good leader, but how could that leader rise? Good leaders don’t come easy. They are born from the challenges and fires of the difficult times or a healthy democratic process. But, good leaders are needed from the outset to help the country navigate through these difficult times in its history. They need to get tested and steeled with the challenges of these difficult times in order to stand out with great distinction from ordinary politicians or I should say hypocrites and demagogues.

The country is therefore in a vicious circle of crisis and deprivation. It gets hard to get these kinds of exceptional leaders by the fact that the political culture and history itself (especially one that developed in the last 30 years) would not easily permit to cultivate these leaders. But, at the same time it needs a great leader to stop this crisis and bypass the vicious circle of political violence once and for all, and redirect the country to the right path for a peaceful, stable and democratic political culture, and hopefully prosperity as well, because we are the poorest nation in the world. I confused you, didn’t I? That is how complex our situation is today! Let me try to tackle this issue because it is critical.

Obviously, if the country is lucky and this great leader is out there, he/she will make history. But, where is this leader? How can good leaders be cultivated in the midst of violence (without a democratic process) in the first place? What is the way out from our misfortune and mess? Our country is still crying for an answer!

I strongly believe the first critical step that may lead us to the right direction to hopefully get a good leader that will guide us to a peaceful, stable and democratic society is to stop the violence against our people by all means, and create a healthy atmosphere to tolerate each other, especially among the political elite (because our people know what tolerance means). I believe this is the only way to pave the way to seek solutions for our country’s crisis and mess. The responsibility of changing the toxic political climate falls primarily on the shoulders of the current leader of the country, P.M. Meles Zenawi, but also on the opposition, because they are part and parcel of the same stock-the political elite, which is responsible for the mess in the first place.

Hatred, rhetoric, intolerance and violence will not serve to get us there. In fact, the hatred and intolerance could spill over to the people, and further divide the country resulting in unforeseen destruction and chaos. Our people are already paying the heaviest price from this violence for no fault of theirs, simply because they were over promised and deceived to rise for their freedom and dignity, in the name of a “new” philosophy called democracy. They rose because they sought change for the better, to improve their lives, and have a say on their destinies once and for all, with peace. They didn’t necessarily rise to bring one party to power and dislodge the other. They just didn’t like the current system, and they want change. They lost faith in the current leadership. They got frustrated. I will come back to this point later, because it is important.

My sincere advice to EPRDF leaders (P.M. Meles in particular):

1- Please release all of the political prisoners: the opposition leaders, journalists, human right activists and thousands of innocent Ethiopians that are languishing in prison, because it is not right. It will help build confidence in the democratic process and the future for our country. Jailing will not solve our crisis. Vindication and vengeance will not solve our crisis. It creates more division, crisis and bitterness. It polarizes the society, and adds complexities to our already complex issues. Our people never had any problem that remotely leads to genocide. It is an absolute recklessness to bring to court especially elected leaders on charges of genocide and treason. It sends a chilling message to the whole nation and the notion of developing democracy in our country.

The essence of democracy is that people have the right to criticize their leaders, aggressively question their government and the rules of law, for that matter even the constitution (especially for a country like Ethiopia, which is aspiring to build democracy), as long as they do it in peaceful manner and to improve and develop it constructively. Nothing is written on stone. That is the guarantee for a genuine democracy to develop in the country. Leaders need to be accountable to the people and the constitution, not the vise versa. Constitutions are not written exclusively for the benefit and property of leaders. They are written for the people and the country, as a whole. The people should have the right to modify, amend and develop them. That should have been part and parcel of the constitution in the first place. A constitution that doesn’t guarantee these rights and curb the leaders’ appetite for power abuse is nothing but an instrument for dictatorship. If the roots of the problems are traced to the “constitution”, it needs to be corrected through dialogue peacefully, because we need to learn. But, we don’t learn by violence, intimidation, arrogance, killing and distortions.

2- It is hypocritical and dishonest to claim that the government (“executive branch”) would not interfere in the judicial system for releasing the prisoners for the following key reasons.

– This is purely a political case not a court case.

– The current court system is not independent either. The whole world knows that. (Recall Siye’s case, which unfortunately the opposition kept quite too, except one true heroine-Birtukan Mideksa). Ironically, the former Supreme Court judge who showed her courage, independence and integrity to the constitution, the country and the democratic process, Judge Birtukan Mideksa is now in jail charged for national treason, by the same leader whom she challenged for circumventing the constitution. Perhaps, she is one of the best examples of how honest and bright leaders could have risen, if the democratic process was allowed to take its course. It requires great courage and honesty to put your life on the line by standing for justice and democratic principles in front of the iron-teeth of EPRDF leaders, especially against the most powerful person in the land. That is exactly what she did. In the ideal world she deserves great inspiration, as a role model for good leaders, because she symbolizes hope and confidence in the democratic future of the country, if and when it ever comes true. Her courage is especially a symbol for millions of Ethiopian women, who live in abject poverty, as second class citizens. It is a shame for a government, which prophesizes to be a champion of women’s rights, to imprison and intimidate exceptionally talented and potentially great leaders like Judge Birtukan.

– It is not only the opposition leaders and their supporters who are arrested currently it is the country and the whole democratic process.

– It is not good for the EPRDF leaders either. It is not good to rule a country by vengeance, hatred and vindication. It is pure power abuse and undermines whatever infant political institutions there are (parliament, courts, political parties, press etc). It is already sending not just a message and a warning but a shock wave to the democratic process, which was unfortunately aborted. Imagine, what would happen if they are convicted! The longer their release is delayed, the shorter it takes to kill the democratic process and the faith of the population, which is already crippled.

My sincere advice to the opposition:

– Secure the release of your leaders at any cost. Don’t ever betray your leaders! First and foremost join hands to have your leaders and all the democratic sympathizers released, because it is the right thing to do. The arrest is unjust, and it should be your priority to fight. The rest of the demands should follow that. Don’t try to attack too many issues at the same time. Avoid unnecessary rhetoric and don’t be over ambitious. Don’t be carried away by populism and emotional issues.

– Join the parliament fully after the release of your leaders and all political prisoners (let’s hope). Let’s hope the EPRDF leaders change course to the right direction for the sake of the country. Don’t isolate and despise those who already joined the parliament, as long as they fight a principled fight and continuously voice for the release of the opposition leaders and supporters of the democratic movement (this seems a far cry now, but anything is better than nothing).

– Try to wage a peaceful and concerted struggle within the system, not outside the system, at least for the foreseeable future. Respect the rule of law, even they don’t respect it, and show your commitment for a peaceful change as much as you can (I know it is difficult, but learn from other successful experiences in history e.g. S. Africa, India and USA-the civil rights movement).

– Learn from your mistakes. Don’t be self conceited and arrogant, but avoid opportunism at the same time. Stay the course. Don’t be deterred by temporary setbacks, because you represent the hope and aspirations of our people for peace and democracy, whatever is left in the process.

– Close your ranks. Avoid division and sectarianism. Avoid the influences of authoritarianism (especially right extremism from the vestiges of Dergue). Both right and left extremism are dangerous to the peaceful democratic process which our people aspire to and clearly demonstrated on May-15-05.

– Don’t be taken advantage of by hypocrites and demagogues. Everyone has a right to express their views in any political organization but not to sway it to extremism in the name of patriotism and unity.

– Discourage or don’t be swayed by those whose mission is tainted by hatred of one leader, one party alone or any one ethnic group, for that matter. Our people are peaceful and tolerant, as I exhaustively tried to elaborate above. Building a democratic system and culture is much more than removing one leader or one party from power. Hatred, vengeance and revenge are not compatible with peace and democracy. It is short sightedness. Our people don’t like division and intolerance and the government uses your weaknesses to discredit the genuine leaders who are putting their lives on the line for the sake of their country and people. It uses it by distorting the truth to scare our people and build suspicion against new leaders (like the ref. to the Rwandan genocide!). Don’t fall into that trap.

– Be genuine and believe in peace. Believe in peaceful struggle. Get committed genuinely for peaceful democratic movement, however slow and frustrating it might be. Get organized for the long-term. Don’t hesitate to express your commitment to peace and tolerance, through practical actions not just words.

Confidence building: Peace and Reconciliation:

I strongly suggest the following ideas, which are not entirely new, but I hope could help resurrect the peaceful democratic process that was to be born on May-05 in our country, but was unfortunately aborted and became short lived. (I hope someone listens for the sake of our country!)

1- I suggest to establish a truly independent “Peace and Reconciliation Committee -PRC” somewhat similar to the S. African TRC (“Truth and Reconciliation Committee”). The members of this committee should come from a cross section of Ethiopians encompassing social, cultural, ethnic and political groups (Political parties including EPRDF and CUD may not have to be represented to maintain neutrality, but could participate as observers in this committee). This Committee should draw members from respected Ethiopians who have national attire, recognition and perhaps political weight and acceptance and trust both by the opposition groups and the government, as well as most importantly by the people at large. The members of the committee should include for instance respected senior citizens, religious, cultural, patriotic and other national figures.

The key role of this committee should be to build confidence, promote peace and justice and enhance the democratic process. It will serve as a ?citizens’ advisory group’, but not as a government institution. It should be temporary, only to serve as a bridge between the opposition and the government and bring back confidence, peace and stability in the country. It would provide an alternate voice to the people. It should be transparent and with easy access to the people, using all available media, which we hope will be open. It should have the mandate and support of the government (primarily the P.M and Opposition leaders and groups) to evaluate and investigate the shortcomings of the democratic process including the main causes that led to violence and failure after the historic May-05 election. It should submit recommendations for change and preventive measures to avoid violence in the future.

2- The purpose of this committee is not to bring someone to persecution, prosecution or condemnation. Instead, it should be to learn from the important lessons that may be drawn from this experience. The Committee should present its findings and recommendations to the government and the opposition for review and comments, at different phases, which should ultimately be open to the public for discussions and comments, in all communications media. (I understand there is already a Committee set-up by the government, but I don’t think it has the full trust and mandate of the people, even though it was authorized by the “parliament”. Some members of this committee could serve in this new Committee, I am suggesting.

3- The Committee should recommend confidence building measures and reconciliations between the government and the opposition for the sake of the country – all in the spirit and love of our country and its survival to the next generation. We all understand we have complicated and complex issues and challenges. But, we can only solve them gradually and methodically by coming together in peace and unity and love for our country as well as respect with each other. The confidence building measures should be initiated immediately and done in phases as recommended by the PRC. It should include, from the outset, setting the mechanism for immediate release of the opposition leaders and all prisoners of conscience. This mechanism may include bails or signing of what I like to call a “peace contract” between the government and the opposition. This should also include respecting the existing rule of law and the constitution, but working peacefully to amend and develop it under the existing institutions (such as parliament).

4- The committee’s work should be independent and transparent, as much as possible, and should have unrestricted access to the public, media and government agencies and officials (including the federal police) and the various opposition groups and figures. It should complement but not supersede the existing institutions or committees set up for similar tasks. It should have the full support and confidence by the highest level of the government (primarily the P.M) and all opposition groups including CUD and OLF.

Some of the key areas this Committee should look into include:

– What led to violence after the elections (with open mind, not bias towards or against one or the other side)
– Investigations of violation of human rights by all government institutions and providing recommendations for improvement
– Investigation of police brutality and allegations of opposition elements incitation to violence
– Apologies and compensations to the families of the victims in the violence
– Improvements of communications between the government and opposition groups, the media, social, cultural and ethnic groups.
– Improvements in communications between the government and the Diaspora (the committee could include representatives from Ethiopians in the Diaspora or it may set up a subcommittees outside, as it sees fit)
– Improvements and recommendations on the elections process with an eye into the future (2010).
– Recommendations on improvements in the justice system and other government institutions and bureaucracies
– The Committee should have temporary budget from the government for its needs, including for hiring temporary experts and consultants (even though it is conceivable it will enjoy most likely the availability of resources and voluntary services both from Ethiopians, at home and abroad, and international institutions).

I hesitate to spell out details of the tasks for the Committee, which I named the “Peace and Reconciliation Committee”. But, I hope my readers understand the intent of my recommendations. I don’t agree with the idea of investigating the May-05 election to decide who has won or lost at this point. Unfortunately, I believe that is a lost case, and a waste of time at this point. We should think positive and look towards the future. There is a saying in Amharic “Lalefe Kiremt Bet Aiseram” (You don’t build a house for a winter that passed).

It will be counter productive and a waste of precious time to dwell on the past too much and continue to cry (as they say don’t cry on a spilled milk). We should look into the past only for one purpose to learn lessons. If we are lucky and the election in 2010 goes as what our people wished it in may-2005, it will still be a historic success to the country. Five years is not that long, if it ever happens! What many Ethiopians are worried now is and rightly so, is that the democratic process may have been lost for ever. I hope that is not the case.

I don’t think we have any other option to tackle and untangle the threads of complex issues our country is facing today. The best option we have is peace and democracy, which by the way P.M. Meles seems to admit, at least as heard in his various press conferences. Let’s hope the P.M. will be willing first and for most to listen to our people first rather than donor nations, and let’s hope he means what he says. Time will be the test. But, we are running out of time. I believe we should still give him the benefit of the doubt, partly because we don’t have any other choice. Our choices are limited. Some may think I am a defeatist or opportunist. That is ok with me. I don’t go by feelings.

The best option was unfortunately lost right after May-15-05. Is it still possible? I think reasonable people would agree with me that it is a bit far fetched to think that the leaders of EPRDF will give-up power willingly at this point. Let’s hope they will in the future. Five years is not that long to test them. If the country wants to keep them, they will still have a right like everyone else. But, they need to do their homework day and night with honesty and respect to their country to win the hearts and minds of our people. If the past experiences would tell, it will be hard for them. But, I believe in miracles.

Our people are forgiving to those who honestly admit their mistakes and work for the future. I hope both the opposition and the government learn from their mistakes, shake hands in reconciliation and work together hand in hand (because they need each other for their own survival as well) to save this beautiful country of ours, the good old Ethiopia and pass it to the coming generations with her rich history, pride, prestige and traditions intact and well developed!, hopefully with peace and democracy as well.

* Biadeglegne Tesfaye is based in the USA, he can be reached at [email protected]