August 04 2009 (Aigaforum):- The new MEDREK philosophy was very well articulated by Siye Abraha during VOA Amharic interview (dated 8/2/ and 8/3). It seems to hinge its fate in soliciting the international community to pressure EPRDF. It also anticipates inducing peaceful disobedience to remove EPRDF from power. Unfortunately, for Andy and Berhanu of girigir 7 a.k.a ginbot 7, such stand of MEDREK is becoming a problem for their strategy. Although girgir 7 wants to remove EPRDF like Medrek, its plan is to employ the removal using Shaibia hole in Sahel. Girigir 7 has declared an underground movement that includes a miniscule number of disgruntled officers of the Ethiopian army! Thanks to the diligence of Ethiopia’s security forces the officers were caught red handed and are now in custody facing the judicial system!
Siye believes the international community, the usual suspect countries, holds a big stick to help his MEDREK come to power. These countries tried to provide a carrot and stick approach in 2005 only to be told thanks but no thanks by the EPRDF! We are not sure why Siye missed this fact unless unlike 2005 the US has assured MEDREK folks that this time they will be there! In 2005 the US, after realizing that the EPRDF government was dead serious to uphold the constitution and that no coalition “tamra mengist” government was forthcoming as long as EPRDF holds 50+1 majority win, backed down from raising the stick the way the Europeans did!
The beauty of the Ethiopian government is that while it knows the international community is a partner in its fight against poverty, it also knows Ethiopia’s future is solely dependent on its people and its independence alone! Siye of all people must know our brothers and sisters of yester years and our forefathers did not die so foreigners can dictate our future.
MEDREK will be well advised to work within the system. It should form coalition based on strategic needs and not tactical needs and need not be shortsighted. Aboy Sebhat told Ethiopian North American audience that most Ethiopian opposition has one thing in common and that is hate! In this case hate against EPRDF. If Medrek is trying to form a coalition based on hate against EPRDF and relies on foreign countries, then they have not learned a thing from Kinjit’s failure. Even with US backing MEDREK will not be able to assume power. For one thing it is doubtful that hate can unify an organization. Temporary unprincipled unity will wither away when it is time to run a country. Second and the most important point is that Ethiopians will never sleep idle if their constitution is trumped-up especially by super power machination that undermines Ethiopia’s sovereignty.
VOA Amharic backed by the most powerful nation in the world may be jumping from issue to issue, holy or unholy, but it is all futile. Ethiopia’s democracy will not be built or un-built by hot air talks or dead woods. It will be built by hard work and razorblade conviction. Every university, road, and dam built will go a long way to cement Ethiopia’s democratic path. Every penny our hard working farmer earns due to the agriculture led development policy will enhance its democratic path. Every soul that escapes death due to the absence of a major war will be because of the Ethiopian government’s strong policy of peaceful coexistence among its neighbors with the keen commitment to enhance the building of a democratic Ethiopia.
What VOA Amharic brought to listeners as a choice is an erroneous choice. Contesting an election should not be considered a peaceful struggle. Ethiopians do not need to struggle to elect their government. All they need is to vote! The other choice of going underground is also erroneous for the Ethiopian constitution guarantees the existence of diverse parties and campaigning peacefully to solicit support. No one in Ethiopia today needs to go underground; instead it must use its constitutional right and use the democratic platform to seek election! Poor Berhanu Mewa, in the VOA Amharic interview he reiterates that he is certain that it will take him more than 15 years to bring all oppositions to agree on one common agenda yet he is for underground struggle. What will be the end game of the underground movement for Berhanu Mewa if it is not to govern a country on agreed basic principles and constitution which he finds is hard to do now or 15 years later?
VOA Amharic folks have pulled every string to bring contention among Ethiopians and conspire to propagate to bring down the EPRDF government. Today we see the VOA Amharic staff meddling in the internal affairs of the church. Their divisive scheme will not work. Exaggerating and magnifying differences is no contribution to a country that is tirelessly working to make poverty history.
Anyone that has the interest of Ethiopia in mind will use the air time to enlighten and educate its listeners on how to strengthen the systems that will be the backbone of a democratic society. VOA Amharic staff could use their air time wisely and not dissipate their energy in rubbing on differences and ad nauseam perpetuate the negative to create animosity among Ethiopians.
Ethiopia more than any other time in its history has raised the bar for its people and the country and there is no force or power that will derail the gains achieved. To stipulate or conceive that a foreign power intervention will deter the path to sustainable development is only a dream and a defunct dream indeed. It is only through the internal conviction of the diverse people of Ethiopia that poverty will be history and no iota of perpetuating hate will stop the progress our country is witnessing.
The only choice one has today is to get clarity of purpose and align with the country’s process to development or be left to sing “wufer tebeges kemzihezi….” and join Andy and Berhanu of girigir 7(ginbot 7) who are two individuals that have lost sight of their purpose and play Russian roulette with their life. Their confusion is dissipating their energy having them head to a no point of return which is undoubtedly a futile and deteriorating route.