A democratic system that espouses unity based on true equality, the respect of individual, thereby, group (ethnic, religious, etc.) rights and freedoms, the acceptance of all cultures and languages as a necessary and colorful diversity of a nation than a burden could have been made possible by the process of “One Man One Vote”. One might say this is another matter for another day, as Liberation Fronts still have the excuses to stay with us for a while. It is true but, we are not even nibbling or have not started eating at their edges for their final demise. We would succeed if we are not driven by emotions and fail to act upon opportunities, when they present themselves to us.
The Alliance for Freedom and Democracy(AFD) is a case in point.The calm arrives and promises to stay before the storm. Since we did not expect it in that order, we demonstrated less appreciation and a lot of suspicion for the sudden positive outcome. It was too good to be true. What we failed to recognize is that such circumstances do not often knock at our doors by accident or luck. They are the result of a long hard work and enormously paid sacrifices on the part of many that may not have been very visible for us to see. If we do not grab them, they will definitely become missed opportunities and hard ones, at that, to come by, soon. It may be essential to mention here that the formation, composition, resolutions, designed plans and operations of the Alliance need much to be desired. The AFD is like an animal fresh out of a packed trough covered with dung. It needs to be carefully primmed before we clothe it for the final show. All of us should have our working hoses ready to convey. Let us contribute our constructive and reasonable inputs.
When we are in doubt about such seemingly positive developments, we must soberly analyze the pros and cons. We have to differentiate the good from the bad players and allign ourselves with the level headed ones. As we know, all political parties are comprised of MODERATES, EXTREMISTS, BLIND FOLLOWERS, RATIONAL INDIVIDUALS and those with the wait and see attitude, etc. While political parties may often reflect a majority consensus of the moderates in regards to social issues, ETHNIC ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS LIBERATION FRONTS ARE DOMINATED BY DIE-HARDS and mostly manifest extremist stances. They are also fertile grounds for HATERS to propel their hidden agendas of division and destruction. Dialogues and compromises with such elements is not easy.They do not opt out for casual contacts, let alone cooperation with those they consider or wrongly perceive as ‘ENEMIES’. Those, amongst them, that are proven to be moderates and driven by rationale than carry emotional baggages are considered to be sell-outs and traitors. I can imagine the hard times those, in their midst, who quietly worked to bring their organizations to the AFD, choosing cooperation over separation, mutual understanding and respect over antagonisms are perceived and have been treated. It is no joke or wild speculation if stated that they may have even endangered their lives when they daringly took the route to join us.
When a positive leap such as the AFD bounces and unexpectedly hit us in the face, we should not take it for a Plymouth Rock landing on us. We must, at least, consider the possibility of the moderates in having the upperhand over the reactionaries. We must also remember it would be much easier to monitor, desensitize the deputation of foreign mentors that many suspect and desegregate the undesired elements of the AFD than to disband it and have the ‘democrats’ that have brought their organizations to join our Camp be replaced by die-hards in their respective organizations. Many, I am sure, must have sacrificed a lot to bring about such positive changes.We shall not let down the ones that are breaking the barriers. Even if we doubt them, they deserve a chance to prove they mean well and must not be left up the creek without a paddle. After all, it is ONLY through time that we would know their good intentions or their ominous motives, if any.
Incidentally, I must express my bafflement, to say the least, in the shilly-shalying and intellectual passivity of some of our erudites to have inequitably fell short of their profundity for simple concepts thereby adding to and not removing from any of the already prevalent confusion in our Camp. They first hailed the AFD, apparently without logic, any basis, truth or understanding of the engagement rules within the frame references of the entity. Since then and after so many write-ups by so many on the true nature of such an entity, some of them have turned overnight from proponents to opponents of the AFD. The reasons they give for changing their minds : they just read the programs of some Liberation fronts that existed for more than a generation. They have become suspicious of some of these Leaders because of what they did or did not say. They do not agree with the Liberation Fronts’ long time stated strategies, tactics and are perplexed by the recently written internal memos which addressed and was only meant to convince and calm down their ance members regarding their new moves. I must mention here that programs are written, strategies and tactics planned and mapped out only for organizational members and constituents. It is not to appease the rest of us, particularily those of us who oppose them, and therefore, it is utterly silly to expect they will renounce such documents or drop their long and dearly held beliefs that glued their movements. It is insane to demand prerequisites that will only expose these leaders as agents and traitors whose efforts is to dismantle their own organizations. This is an unfair imposition on them to only form a SIMPLE ALLIANCE! As I have stated, the Leaders of these secessionist entities are under a lot of pressure. They have to sell their objectives, stress only on the advantages they will benefit to convince and comfort their members and constituents who may have already been made so suspicious of the new contacts and preliminary cooperation agreements by anti-unity elements within. Imagine what those on top that have taken such risks are going through by comparison, when some even in our liberal and moderate Camp have accused ours to have sold out their principles and crossed the line of their mandates. Nothing has changed since the initial support of the ‘learned’ men for the AFD. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ENTITY DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT THE LIBERATION FRONTS MUST CHANGE THEIR PROGRAMS , STRATEGIES AND TACTICS OVERNIGHT JUST TO FORM AN ALLIANCE OR “SIBISIB”. If we don’t try to take advantage of the AFD, it is we that are responsible and not the Liberation Fronts anymore. We have harped, sniped and belittled them in the past. It will only prove that they were unfairly getting a bum-rap that they did not deserve alone, if we instantly reject this manifold that provides many ways to work with the moderates.
Political immaturity and miscalculations are costly.Nobody knows that more than we do. We have so many lost opportunities in the past. None of them came across our way again for grabbing. When we are faced with many choices rivaling with the peace, tranquility, survival and unity of our People, we must always, without exception, choose the latter, even if it is a small step forward.We have to sometimes take big strides and calculated risks, if we must. Despite the trust and confidence we have in our people for their demonstrated ability to live together in harmony, we must not also forget the devastation and destruction ethnic conflicts have caused in some, long time, intermarried and mixed Ethiopian localities, only a few years ago. We know divisionaries, tribalists and power mongers are still spewing hate amongst our people to only promote dissention, havoc and destruction.
I believe we are more than capable enough to take advantage of the AFD. It is a precedent that may take us another generation to achieve, if we are not careful and we blow it. We are morally obligated to welcome, meaningfully and verifiably support those who MAY have come in good faith to join us. It would be strengthening the “Nay Sayers” and a colossal disaster to play in the hands of the extremists to negatively react to such developments. Only by holding hands with the MODERATES and clearing their hiding bushes to build clear and firm connections like the AFD shall we CAST THE EVIL, THEIR FORWORN WAYS AND BELIEFS, OUT OF THE HATERS AND NARROW TRIBALISTS. Proper EXORCISM may be the only means to put them to sleep for ever, and the AFD might just do that!
