The Ethiopian People will shrink the TPLF power space in much faster speed than the regime anticipated (OFC-ISG)

July 24,2016

It is very promising to see that the people of Ethiopia finally coming to common sense of terms as to how to deal with a dictatorial regime which seems only listen to the people by losing rather than soothing. For the last 25 years, TPLF/EPRDF had been enjoying the disconnection of the people of Ethiopia by TPLF’s rhetoric of deception, false promissory note to the poor, and flip flopping to stay in power term after term in every election season.

It is a factual conclusion that TPLF/EPRDF comes to power after a long civil war,  which the Ethiopian people get frustrated with  fighting Eritrean rebel force (EPLF) in Eritrea, hopping that anyone who comes to power after the Military ruler will provide the Ethiopian people at least basic freedoms, rights and economic justice. For the last 25 years, the TPLF regime had been robbing tremendous resources from the Ethiopian people to impose its economic power, under the pretext of reconstruction which at times many Ethiopians did not dear to oppose, not because of the fact that the party (TPLF) has come to power by choice, rather by the fact that TPLF contributed a lion share in toppling Mengistu.

Many of the spectators who supported the regime in every means necessary to hold its feet to the ground had been also closely watching if the model of ethnic Federalism really works or fails. If it succeeds, to export the model to other countries for implementation, and if it fails to immediately control and minimize the negative outcome. The country had been literarily became a virtual lab of Ethnic federalism.  Unfortunately, its success and practicality is not proven mainly because of the following major reasons:

1. The temptation of the TPLF to control regional states economic resources by limitless interference into affairs of regional governments make the Ethnic Federalism in Ethiopia untested. Because most strategic decision for regional governments are made at the center by Federal government and not by regional governments, which clearly show no power sharing.
2. Absence of historical democratic political culture that motivates citizens to react aggressively to change undisciplined government in unisons.
3. Complications emerged in regional politics which makes outside political actors to look for dictators that can be used as a shield of fear politics, rather than standing firm in support of democracy, which of course the outcome is witnessed to be unintended consequence.
4. The failure of the opposition political parties, until recently, before the emergence of MEDRK, to choose meaningful leadership space to unify the Ethiopian people to act in unison and create alternative political force to challenge government, most political groups tag themselves with ethnic politics, the very survival political platform (model) introduced by the TPLF regime itself to prolong its survival and defuse public cohesion among citizens.

Signs of despair:

The TPLF regime is swallowed in cloud of fear, and biting every innocent citizen, in an attempt to foil public anger and frustration. It is trying to use every means possible to detract public attention from mounting pressure and anger to confront the regime, by sending its old political prostitutes in and out to test the move. Although so many things can be said about the regime that keeps the basic rights of 90 Million people hostage, the opposition camp and the people of Ethiopia need to look back onto its past and fix weaknesses, rather than wasting time on blaming the brutality of the regime, which could have been demolished long time ago had Ethiopians acted in unisons and common sense politics of inclusion.  The regime lost sense of government as a responsible institution and acting like a child that cries without reasonable cause, poising itself like a gang losing a battle. Most wise leaders know best times moving out than moving in.

The regime is fueling violence in neighboring countries, and becoming a major make of State terror headquarter, to show its importance over other counties, which are playing meaningful peace keeping missions across Africa. This can be clearly evidenced by the current systemic and calculated ambush happened to the Kenyan battalion in Somalia, to systematically evict Kenyan solders from Somalia, and to manifest Ethiopian Army as the absolute alternative to the international donors to siphon international dollars for troops funding, and to divert attention of the international community from the current human rights abuses at home. The regime is the making and fuelling crisis, to keep itself in lucrative crisis business, and instigating unnecessary clashes to keep itself in business, rather than accomplishing its job as a responsible state institution, mandated working towards lasting peace. This same tactic is applied in South Sudan, where the rebel groups and the Government of south Sudan had been negotiating in the capital Addis Ababa, for over a month, which incurred close to a Million dollar hotel bill, which could have been a two years budget for the country.

Urgent Actions Needed and Opportunities:

It is evident that the TPLF government is involved in outrageous abuse of human right, and the act of atrocity is evidenced by international community, and media out lets. As a principle of pre-screening deployment for any solder/s, for any peace keeping mission, the United Nation (UN) body has the primary responsibility to ensure that any solder or solders that deployed for the peace keeping mission is free of such historical record of abuses. As evidenced by the current atrocity, and blatant unreserved human right abuse and violation of basic freedoms in its own county, and on its own citizens, no Nation should admit any such solders, which lacks proper basic training to respect human right to get deployed for such level of honorable mission, which needs the highest standard of discipline. Therefore, the United Nations, must take a though investigation into this matter, and send investigative team to Ethiopia, to explore genocide currently unfolding in the country. The unholy silence of International Community and its inaction to make meaningful reasonable remedial intervention to resolve a crisis of such large scale, while well informed, is below standard and manifestation of unprofessionalism, which draws reasonable suspicions on all Ethiopians, as to the impartiality, and integrity of the UN body that meant to act as a watch dog of basic freedoms.The worst failure of responsibility is to desperately attempt to use irresponsibles.   

“Oromo Protests” in line with National Quest for freedom and basic rights of All Ethiopians:

Our Nation is witnessing a greatest move in defending basic freedoms and sizeable opportunities, recently and at the same time opportunity to work on the rest of the assignments overlooked to get things done together. There is no movement in our Nation’s history that symbolizes people’s quest for basic freedoms, and rights than the Oromo Protests, just simply because it is initiated by the very victim- The Oromo people itself, and other Nations and Nationalities in Ethiopia. This is the great opportunity for both stake holders- the Oromo people, who is demanding and in defense of their basic rights and freedoms on the one hand, and other citizens of Ethiopia, who need to maintain and build a much better union on the other hand. Active participation of all citizens in the process is not only the remedial action to change the current status quo, but also an opportunity to create a strong Ethiopia, and better future to change our political culture and create a better perfect union. No citizens spared of death, abuse and humiliation by the current Ethiopian regime and it must end by concerted effort of all Ethiopians. A change is good change if all finds themselves in the process and build reasonable confidence in the future. Therefore Ethiopians should and must act in unisons to put an end to injustice by common and concerted actions, and show utmost level of determination to put this call into actions.

Conclusion:

Our political leadership should not be gauged by how deep we dig the grave of history, rather how strong we build the future of our country. All the ethnic and non-ethnic political parties in the country should be and must be willing to work together by eliciting innovative leadership models, by coming together and engage in politics of compromise and act in unisons to demolish the long lasted era of robbery in our nation’s history, and should foil systemic distancing of regional parties from the central power, by miss characterizing their political agendas and limiting their demands to regional levels.

Opposition political groups have to form unifying political campaign coordination committee to pull the public opinion together, and act in the domain of public interest, to woo their electorates, manifest capable leadership, and show their alternative position, and rebuild public confidence. This action will be an excellent lesson for the ruling body not to use any preemptive actions on political parties regardless of their strength or weakness of the. Those political groups who are shying away from engaging themselves in centric politics, because of their past historical political stance should and need to turn the page, because the ruling party is trying to use the euphoria of these groups as an opportunity to miss characterize their intention and political obsolescence, and wants to show itself as the best alternative, by playing a game of fear politics. If we do all we do together, the Ethiopian people will shrink the power space of the TPLF/EPRDF in much faster speed than the regime anticipated. Let us be leaders who defeat the past and win the future.

Winners are those who judged by the people!

OFC-ISG, June 10, 2016