Issues, the government and oppositions in Ethiopia – ‘mn teyzo guzzo’
By Asegedech A Mekonnen
April 12, 2004

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A few weeks ago, a friend reminded me of a saying attributed to a thinker of the past. It more or less runs like this. “The ones who can, do and those who can’t, teach.” There are many of us who can’t – many who are short on delivering the actual needs of our society but who are adequately efficient in criticising, condemning, and analysing each other’s work. As a member of our community of the ‘can’t’, I have no better option than clinging to the ‘educating’ role. On a serious note, I would like to share a few words than blame myself for being not action-oriented. The points raised here are varied, hence I have chosen to present this commentary in somewhat an unorthodox format.

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What is the difference between half full and half empty provided that the same measurement is used? I believe the real and apparent answer to this question is – nothing. However, emphasising the half empty tells something about the group of people or an individual that provides the answer. A more serious consequence of a negative prone mind is that it incapacitates the self and becomes a bad influence to others. I am accentuating the positive attitude in that I want to see the glass half-full ( not half-empty), and emphasize the bright side of the events that are unfolding in my country while, at the same time, not remaining oblivious to the dangers that the country might face if fundamental differences are not resolved in a timely manner. I would argue that we can immensely contribute towards a great positive development if we could collectively approach it through an optimist and cooperative mood instead of a pessimistic and confrontational attitude.

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In our country a problem of major proportion is hovering over our people. The problems of hunger, disease, economic backwardness, and lack of education are real. Lack of democracy: corrupt and/or inefficient judicial system, a laid back bureaucracy that is completely dormant because it is scared of wrongdoing (Mu-ss-na), and therefore ineffective, irresponsible political groupings that give precedence to their short term popularity instead of long term plan for usurping power peacefully, an arrogant government that has proven to be unresponsive to constructive advice, and the problems posed by ethnic based political administration that was initially thought to be a remedy to nationality issues by its authors, are all real problems that we need to address in a constructive and intelligent manner.

The Culprit:

Disease and famine have been stalking us for many decades. There is one major reason for all our predicament. I believe lack of education and information sharing are the main culprits for our state of affairs. As one wise Ethiopian, Berhanu Nega, eloquently argued in his address to Ethiopians somewhere in Europe, for Ethiopia to progress, Ethiopians have to have a change of attitude. What the great majority of our people expect from the ‘modern’ Ethiopian is a role that enhances their unity, modernizes their system of farming, and in general, teaches them new techniques. Lack of democracy, fair administration and good economic progress are only the result of our people not being informed. People who are informed, and people with proper elementary education, can change the existing situation so that those changed situations are adequately responsive to their needs.

Only empowered people can bring the needed changes. Political parties are interested in their power. They do everything to retain it. They perform all sorts of manoeuvre to keep it. That is the nature of political parties. In places where there is democracy and the institutions of democratic governance, parties try to cling to power by doing all that is in their capacity to convince the electorate. In places such as Ethiopia, where these institutions are at their infancy or non-existent, we are at the mercy of those that wield power by force. Unless the ruling party chooses to play a patriotic role by realizing this problem and address the concerns of the opposition political forces, it will be miraculous if smooth political changes could take place. And the consequence of non-peaceful change of government is, short of miracles, further deterioration in every imaginable aspect of the country’s problems.

To date, the learned people of Ethiopia, the intellectuals who are mainly leading the political process, have lagged behind in acknowledging the fundamental importance of knowledge/education in changing the political, economic, and other social problems of our country. Unless we fill this important void in understanding our society, we will once again fail to help our country and our people.

But to effectuate change the educated, the intelligentsia, the group that considers itself more aware than the rest of the society should itself admit its failure and make the necessary attitudinal changes. One does not need to preach his/her idea of political beliefs in order to bring favourable changes in Ethiopia. What our people need is to know how to utilize the important skills in using the available institutions, however rudimentary they are, to make changes happen.

I was pleasantly surprised by the events that unfolded in Abiyi Adi, Tembien (Tigray) few weeks ago. The determination of the organizers of the demonstration, their principled stand, their submission to the rules and regulation of the law of the land, their concrete demands and their peaceful disobedience, their firm commitment not to be intimidated by the ruling party cadres and the government apparatus clearly shows how the action of informed and empowered people looks like.

Problems of Perception

There are also perceived problems that have to be addressed mainly by the ruling party. Their gravity is huge and more dangerous. Hence, they have to be ‘perceived’ as real problems and need to be tackled likewise. The fact that they are perceived does not in any way undermine their importance. What are our problems of perceptions? The following is a sample out of many.

There are many good things that are happening in Ethiopia. Roads are being built. Enrolments in schools are being increased. Tens of private newspapers and magazines circulate in the capital city. The press scrutinizes and criticises the government almost daily. The local Human Right Organization enumerates the wrong doing of the government for us all to see and hear. But all these positive happenings (of being able to openly state) are being shadowed or are almost considered non-existent or immaterial because of the perception people have against the current government.

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The economic policy that has started as pro-poor is now shifting towards being pro-capital, pro big merchants and ‘big business’. This is consistent with the demands of those pro-western intellectuals and political groups that constantly call for laissez faire economic policy to be installed in the country. To my dismay, politicians and many economists are arguing for a completely free market dominance where the role of the government is nil. This, they do when they aptly know that there is no such thing as free market economy in the world. In line with World Bank and the western governments, they are leery about any kind of subsidy to the local market. The fact that the rich nations subsidize their industries does not seem to matter much. The country is now fully in the hands of World Bank, IMF and the western powers that protect and nurture these world conglomerates. This must have come as a positive development to those ‘free-marketers’ of Ethiopia. And yet these ‘positive developments’ are not deemed relevant as long as they are done by the existing regime. They are perceived as bad economic policies.

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Local entrepreneurs are mushrooming. Construction of commercial buildings and private homes is at all time high. High-speed transportation methods, construction of dams to produce highly sought after electric power, rural roads to connect towns, and other schemes are happening in Ethiopia. These positive development are hard to see due to the perception we have developed over the years against the current government.

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The many economists of my country call for another land-reform in Ethiopia. There seems to be no interest in analysing the land ownership issue in a rational and responsible manner. While there is a merit and an economic and political value in asking for a private ownership of urban lands, I find it a bit puzzling why we are calling for the government to privatise farm lands. The current law, if I am not mistaken, allows inheritance and leasing farm lands. It only prohibits the sale of land. Of course some modification or a mechanism that shields the peasantry from government political interference is needed. But lack of trust on the government seems to influence our decision rather than issue of mass migration to the cities that the current government rightly argues against. Mass migration to large cities is an extreme danger that we have to consider seriously. If the rural peasant loses his only property through ‘forced’ market mechanisms, he has no much alternative but to migrate to the cities that in turn have nothing to offer at this time. The ghettos that have mushroomed in much of Africa and some part of Asia are the result of both mass migration and population increase.

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Schools are being built. Religious freedom is relatively being practised. The many ethnic communities of Ethiopia are having the opportunity to use their local languages as a working language. Over 24% of the country’s budget is allocated to health and education. But these developments are being ignored because of the negative impacts these changes brought and because the messenger of these changes does not have the necessary rapport with the political forces that influence public opinion.

A word on the negative impact I mentioned above

Many compatriots argue, albeit indirectly, that local administration, language rights and the practice of preserving the unique cultures of the many ethnic groups of Ethiopia have undermined the unity of the country. This maybe true on the surface. The recognition of these rights after much domination will create misunderstanding, resentment, a feeling of revengefulness and gross human right violations – all manifestations of backwardness. Until the time for healing and forward-looking attitudes take root, these unwanted actions, attitudes and feelings will continue to haunt us. Hence, the need for a transparent and non-partisan mechanisms to resolve potentially disruptive incidents.

We must be able to understand that the blossoming of these cultures are the pillars for the empowerment and growth of the Ethiopian person. Language and culture makes the person that each one of us is. These unique cultures and language make what Ethiopia is today. Their growth will determine the Ethiopia of tomorrow. If each Ethiopian develops, uses, and nurtures his unique culture, he/she becomes a full, proud, and confident person capable of acting confidently to promote the interest of his/her country.

Each and every Ethiopian should applaud the new attitude of Ethiopians to nurture their local cultures and language. This is the only sure way for democracy taking root in our country. At the same time we have to make sure that local rights do not mean that our common identity are undermined. Unfortunately, there are always negative elements that equate self-empowerment with secession and division. The central government has the responsibility to make sure that Ethiopia is more than the some of its parts. It is essential that the government as well as opposition parties take this point seriously.

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There are many points that one can enumerate in terms of our country’s real and perceived problems. However, the preceding points are enough to address the messages I have in mind.

There are two central messages that I wanted to convey. The first relates to the EPRDF government’s role, the moves that it has to make- moves that are beneficial both to the ruling party and the country.

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To my understanding, and solemn analysis of the situations in the past twelve years, the fundamental mistakes of the EPRDF government has been the handling of the Eritrean problem, the decision to install a federal administration that is solely based on ethnic factor, and the arrogance of its leaders to accept criticisms. Lack of freedom of the press, democratic rights, human rights and economic policies are not major factors that warrant my severe criticism against this government at this time in our history. There are enough manifestations to show us that these rights are at least partially existent, and there is reason to believe that improvements will continue in this regard.

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The government has to consider both the perceived and the real problems on equal footing. In fact, in some ways, the perceived problems are very detrimental, that they need to be addressed in time and with openness. The problems of disease, famine and economic and political liberalization are objectively observed problems that need time, effort and collective measures that can happen through a process.

Addressing the problems that are borne of perception is not hard to resolve. It only requires the willingness, determination and good will of the people that wield power in Ethiopia at this moment. In simple terms, the government can achieve these objectives by doing the simple things that can lead the way to trust and shared responsibility of redirecting the country towards the right channel. In a sense, the right moves by the current government can create stability in the country, confidence in the government and sense of responsibility and therefore, participation by the leaned people of the country.

The real test will happen if all participants agree upon the rules towards the general election of next year. Incorporating independent commission members in the Election Board, electing an independent commissioner/ chair for the Election Board, and having an open and free state media will convince many of us that the current government is truly committed to democracy. The short and long term outcome for the ruling party will be respect and the building of trust. The country will be more stable, and opposition parties will be more mature and constructive. These big results can be achieved by a relatively simple move of the government to institute the above-mentioned changes. A government under such unique historical period of transformation has the responsibility to pave the way for a change.

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The degree of responsibility of the government in preserving the unity of the country, the well-being of its people and its future development, will depend on whether the government of Prime Minister Meles makes the process of free democratic election a reality in Ethiopia. When PM Meles agrees that fundamental decisions that change the nature of the country should be handled in a non-partisan manner, if and when he makes sure that the concern of mature political forces that have different view from his party are addressed, then he can assuredly claim that he has done his level best to promote the interest of his country. It is this simple, and yet crucial element that I ask the Prime Minister to consider in the coming few months.

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On the opposite side there is a need for political organizations that are opposed to the current ruling party to be goal oriented in the constructive sense of the term. There is an unwelcome trend of opposing everything that the current government does in Ethiopia. Worse, some try to exploit negative developments to their short-sighted political end and engage in propaganda activities that further worsen situations. The incident in Gambella and the treatment of the Oromo students is a case in point. While the call for independent commission to investigate the source of the causes is in order (for it creates stability and builds public confidence), the tendency by some to use the unfortunate happenings for a political end is, to say the least, a bad taste. True, the Anuyaks and the Oromo students that have been expelled should not have been made to feel that the measures they faced were because of their ethnicity. The government should take the full responsibility for the political fallout that we have witnessed. It is imperative that the government solves these problems in a non-partisan way by involving community leaders and opposing political groups. A non-partisan approach to problem solving of this nature will indicate how much visionary and strategic the current government is.

It has taken us a long time to realize that the futurity of the country can’t be determined through partisan means. Party politics is a luxury that has to be left to those who have developed the institutions, the know-how and objective realities to practice it. The issue that faces our country at this juncture is of a national security issue in nature. It requires that all Pan-Ethiopian elements work together to create a well-grounded Ethiopia. For this to happen, the Ethiopian government and opposition forces have to come to some kind of arrangement that helps them engage in a constructive dialogue. Working together on common issues does not imply that parties should abandon their political platform. Rather, it will create a future platform where all ideas could be entertained, and subsequent changes of governments are realized. The existence of a stable state/country is a precondition for a fair and free election. ‘Mn teyzo guzzo’!!