I feel guilty because I thought ETV is forced to repeatedly broadcast the program because we, respected stakeholders and audiences of the news (I know we are not) did not reflect our genuine feelings. Anyways, I prefer to stay in jail for the hour I could have been listening the parliamentary speech.
Therefore, here is a single lay man’s (junior economist) reflection of the speech made by Mr. Prime Minister. His Excellency (He might not deserve but am ethical Ethiopian), the PM has tried to address at least four points which caught my attention.
1. Inflation: With regards to inflation, the PM seems willing to swallow the bitter pill. Surprisingly, I remember that last year there were genuine local and international study based arguments built on economic science which reassured that the latent driving forces of the sky-rocketing inflation is the excessive printing of money (borrowing of the government from central bank) and the subsequent expansionary fiscal measures aggressively waged by the government. By that time, his Excellency, Mr.PM refuted this argument and assigned a lion’s share of the burden to his ‘illegal traders’ (‘sigibgib negadewoch’). But right this time, he seems willing to accept the bitter fact as per the planned measures he presented. As to my view, a key point associated with the staggering inflation in Ethiopia seems the unbalanced weight that EPRDF has put on the political and national objectives. I feel that inflation is not party-born epidemic, but if not addressed scientifically it would be party grown disaster. I noted that, the PM is not ever willing to accept any science if it seems to harm the credentials of their narrowly confined party. A second philosophical point here arises that the PM always hunts somebody to blame, if he did not get, I think he will cancel his parliamentary speech. Therefore, when it comes to inflation he was eagerly thinking to blame any stakeholders close by to the system, then he found traders and said ‘Bingo’. But nearest agents were his superficial policies and fear-driven governmental packages.
2. Teacher’s demand: I have labeled his speech on this issue to be the frailest argument he brought ever since he assumed his throne (next to his weird speech on the national flag).Sorry, I am young enough to retrieve other worst historical speeches he made, may be readers can refer to Tamagn’s archive. Anyways, his response on the issue definitely asserts that he himself along with his advisors are not aware of what is going on the ground. This is a shared practice to African tyrants as they never live their peoples’ life. I would suggest that honest and genuine EPRDF supporting teachers (they could exist) should rectify the facts on the ground. I know they would not be tolerated if argued. A point here worth of dropping: I said there might be some 1 percent honest EPRDF supporters because I was one of them ten years ago unknowingly (I guess you would allow me to share dynamically adjusting knowledge and stand). With regard to the teacher’s demand, honestly speaking the worst of all the bad deeds that EPRDF and his administrative practices is the labeling and condemnation of citizens and individuals who quest for their rights. This can be simply proved by trending the historical track of the party and the existing composition of the ruling family. We observe and I personally blame Meles for creating this destructive system. See his comrades and their fate when they asked why and said no. Just unrelated stuff here, I listened Tamrat layne’s speech at some point and he said that he could not believe that he was brutalized by Meles for the first 5 years of his imprisonment. Same thing at some point, I met Siye’s mother, when all her family was in Kaliti and she said I am sure that Meles will not do it because he shared many things with my son (I think she was feeding them together). Luckily she knew all the facts before she died. Therefore, his premature response speech on the teacher’s demand was part and parcel of the same condemnation philosophy of the family (party).
3. Extremism: He seems he has been hunting for defiance defensive mechanism for his bolded pitfalls and the unreserved intervention his administration has imposed on both religions recently. To mention his superficially argued point, he said that there are members of Mahibere-Kidusan, who advocate the slogan ‘’one-nation, one-religion’’. Here, I am afraid by this speech, let alone MK, a conglomeration of trained individuals, the very conservative and traditionalist religious grandmother of mine (RIP) was very much aware of the natural existence different religious denominations, though she strongly adheres to her religious teaching of the existence of a single GOD. Because, she along with her destitute familial organization, was living with love close by to a mosque. By the way I guess readers will understand why MK is lucky to be mentioned in the ‘respected parliament’. If you can’t retrieve it, here is the truth: MK is believed to have been supporting ‘Kinjit’ during the 2005 election and that is why its ticket is not yet sold out by EPRDF. I am not sure if MK has been really doing so.
Coming to Muslim-based extremism, I would love if somebody can help me. But to mention a single observation, I was really touched when the Muslim scholar, who was supposed to teach a more lenient Islamic teaching, reassured that he is invited by the government (Dr. Shiferaw).This is really annoying.
However, these arguments might not by any means going to totally preclude the potential existence of outliers, which should be legally treated than publically represent and be addressed at a respected parliament.
4. Relocation of citizens: readers should predict Meles’s response on this issue based on the above behavioral denomination of the regime and the dictator. I guess you got the answer, that is based on the above premise, before addressing the issue genuinely, he should hunt for somebody to blame, accordingly he successfully found one, that is the opposition camp, particularly AEUP. He seriously warned as usual. Here is his usual weird threatening slogan, ‘every irresponsible activity bears costs’. Had this statement been realized he and his wife would have borne the overall sins of the country.
