In Defense of the Ethiopian Democratic Party

Washington, DC
January 24, 2003

At the forum, Mr. Lidetu, General Secretary of EDP, highlighted the failed policies of the regime, including its ethnic, land, and economic policies, and asked the Prime Minister to resign. (See Addis Tribune, Blunt Denials for Reform, 20/12/02,). This is, indeed, a courageous political move—a move that underscores the EDP’s viability as an alternative political force capable of providing leadership to the Ethiopian people in their struggle to bring the regime down.

In the past, the EDP had organized several discussion forums of its own, paid considerable sacrifices in support of the AAU students’ grievances that led to student unrest in the early part of 2001, organized and led a peaceful political rally to protest EPRDF’s acquiescence with the Arbitration Commission of Geneva on border disputes between Ethiopia and Eritrea. As a result of its actions and bold initiatives, EDP is inspiring enthusiasm among a significant number of Ethiopians in the diaspora.

Unfortunately, a few individuals in the Washington, DC area have made it their sacred duty to vilify the EDP. They did so by unleashing a venomous attack against the EDP for participating in the forum organized by the Inter-Africa Group. The pattern of verbal attack is reminiscent of the internecine fighting between the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Party (EPRP) and the ruling party (Dergue/ Meisone) in the middle of the 1970s. Their reasons for attacking the EDP raise serious questions regarding their underlying motives. They argue, for instance, that “nothing new can be revealed to the Ethiopian people by engaging in a discussion with the EPRDF, for the Ethiopian people are well aware of the policies and practices of EPRDF.” But this argument does not adequately explain why and how the debate between the EPRDF and the opposition parties would undermine the struggle or adversely affect the political consciousness that they claim the Ethiopian people possessed.

Other equally disingenuous arguments against participating in the forum include:

• The discussion would not have any beneficial effect and will not lead to concrete results.

• It is Prime Minister Meles’s attempt, through his patron, the IAG, to create a semblance of democracy for deluding his Western backers.
• It will undermine recent efforts to organize an all-party conference, etc.

We live in the 21st century and we all know the power of the media in shaping public opinion. Whether the discussion has a beneficial effect or not is a matter of individual judgment; but for individuals to be able to make judgments, they must have the opportunity to understand the issues. And I believe that forums of the kind organized by IAG create that opportunity.

The argument that Meles is trying to delude his Western supporters is simply a smokescreen. It is again an argument to prop up a case that is otherwise indefensible. Western policies on Ethiopia are certainly not formulated on the basies of Meles’s whims. We all know that the Western powers put him in power in 1991–and they have been supporting him ever since. It is their national interest that dictates what course of actions they need to take. Only naïve individuals or small minds think that they have the ability to circumvent the policies of the big powers.

There has been talk about organizing an all-party conference for the last several months. As always, this is also idle talk. How could participating in the forum organized by IAG be an impediment to convene the all-party conference? As the old saying goes, “If there is a will there is a way”. If all the parties are determined and willing enough to hold the conference, nothing can stop them from doing so. Running a malicious propaganda campaign against the EDP is a weak and unconvincing excuse for not convening the conference.

In my opinion, those who argue against participating in the IAG’s forum have failed miserably to make their case. The question is not whether a political party should or should not participate in any given forum; that is the individual party’s prerogative. Instead, the question should focus on the issues discussed at the forum. We certainly have the right to critique the ideas presented by each participant in the forum. The issues must be examined carefully and be judged on their own merits regardless of who organized the forum.

Unfortunately, these coteries of individuals simply throw a hodgepodge of arguments here and there to mask their real motives. They remain impervious to a balanced assessment and analysis of the issues that were dealt with by the participants at the meeting. Instead they chose to vilify the EDP for simply participating in the discussion forum. I sincerely believe that the cause of justice and freedom can be better served if we refrain from engaging in a smear campaign against this or that organization.

As much as I am for the right of organizations to participate in any forum, I am likewise cognizant of the fact that we should also respect the decisions of opposition organizations that chose not to participate in any forum. Any organization has as much right not to participate as it has the right to participate. Taking sides and condemning one or more organizations is unlikely to promote mutual understanding and cooperation among the organizations. This article is not meant to attack or praise this or that organization. It is rather an attempt to defend the rights of organizations to engage in any form of struggle which they deem appropriate and effective. Therefore, I believe that the EDP has done nothing wrong by participating in the discussion forum organized by Inter Africa Group.