OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR OF THE CITY OF
TÜBINGEN
Universitätsstadt Tübingen
Gemeinderat
Am Markt 1
72070Tübingen
E-Mail: ob@tuebingen.de
Dear Mr. Palmer:
As Germans of Ethiopian origin,
We are writing to express our appreciation for your consideration of Mekelle as
one of the three cities in Africa to be a partner city of Tübingen so that the
cultural relations between the two historical cities can be enhanced through
time. I wholeheartedly concur with your wise decision that Mekelle deserves to
be a partner to your wonderful city, Tubingen.
However, We were caught with utter surprise when we saw Ethiopians,
albeit few in number, stage demonstration against your decision on January 31,
2009. While it is sad to witness Ethiopians opposing a noble cause that could
benefit both our cities, We can assure you that almost 99% of Ethiopians are
behind your decision. We believe that the partnership between Mekelle and Tubingen
not only can mutually promote the cultural relationships of the two cities, but
also strengthens the centuries old friendly relationships of Ethiopia and
Germany.
We understand that these people are entitled to their opinion, but
opposing a partnership of two cities through demonstrations for cheap political
gains is beyond the tenets of democracy, and borders insanity. Of course, the
demonstrators tried to tell you unfounded horror stories about the current
government; and thus the reason for the opposition of the proposed partnership
of the two cities.
Quite contrary to the demonstrators’ false claim on the actions of the
current Ethiopian govenment, Ethiopians enjoy unprecedented democracy for the
first time in the nation’s more than 3000-year history. The Nations,
Nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia highly appreciate the current democratic
change and they are committed to embrace and foster it despite frequent calls
to reverse the course of history by some of the opposition groups. The people of
Ethiopia know quite well the difference between tyranny and freedom for they
have experienced both under the previous governments and the current government
respectively. It is ironic that the confidants of the previous govenment call
the current democratically elected government a dictatorship when, in fact,
many of the them served the Marxist junta, Mengistu Hailemariam, that killed
many innocent Ethiopians as part of its “red terror” campaign.
The current government has brought so many positive changes to Ethiopia
and to the way things used to function in the previous administrations. Below
is a list of some of the accomplishments of the current government that I
believe are worth mentioning:
● Constitution: The current government introduced a constitution
in 1994, and ratified in 1995 that guaranteed every Nation, Nationality, and
people in Ethiopia their unconditional right to self-determination, including
the right to secession. Article 39 of the constitution further grants to every
Nation, Nationality and people the right to speak, to write and develop its own
language; to express and promote its culture; and to preserve its history.
● Elections: The current government has helped the
Ethiopian people to conduct three National elections including the May 2005
parliamentary election that was hailed as fair and free election by world
renowned election observers including the former U.S President Jimmy Carter and
Observers from European countries.
● Education: Unlike the claims of the January 31, 2009
“Ethiopian” demonstrators in Tübingen, during the last 18 years, the current
Ethiopian government has built more than two dozens of universities and
hundreds of colleges all over Ethiopia. As a result, many Ethiopian students
are benefiting from these universities and colleges throughout the country.
Furthermore, the Ethiopian government, in collaboration with German
contractors, plans to build twelve more universities in the near future.
● Economy: The government encourages free market through
the Ethiopian Privatization Agency (EPA) that was established in February of
1994. Since then, business entities ranging from small retail trade outlets to
large-scale enterprises have been privatized. The economy has been showing
consistent growth against the odds of some drought years. As a proof, it is
suffice to look at the statistics of the the last five years of the Ethiopian
economy. As it can be verified by the World Bank and IMF, Ethiopia’s economy
has shown an average growth of double digits for the last five consecutive
years. Even at the time of global financial crises, the Ethiopian government
expects to maintain a modest economic growth.
● The Justice System:
Out of its conviction to justice, the government has established for the first
time an independent court system that works for the people. In today’s
Ethiopia, justice is served for every citizen; no innocent person gets
penalized for a crime and no one is above the law. A case in point is the case
of Ethiopian Pop Star Tewedros Kassahun (a.k.a. Teddy Afro) who was convicted
of manslaughter of a homeless man in a hit-and-run after the court found him
guilty of running down with his car and fleeing the scene without reporting the
incident. Regardless of his pop star status, he had to face the law like any
other citizen in the country. In the previous governments, however, this was
not the case—people with power, political clout and/or money were able to
commit serious crimes and let go without facing the consequences of their
action.
● The Press: Consistent with the constitution it helped to
materialize, the government has given licenses to more than a hundred private
Newspapers and magazines in the country. The freedom of press is a milestone
achievement for the people of Ethiopia for it was unheard of in the previous
governments.
● Parliamentary system: The Ethiopian government, taking
the Federal republic of Germany as a model, has introduced the first truly
representative parliamentary system comprised of members elected directly by
the people and responsible to the people.
In conclusion, the people of Mekelle in particular and the Ethiopian
People in general appreciate your nomination of Mekelle as one of the three
cities, and love to see your intention materialize for the mutual benefit of
our sister cities. Hatred and ignorance of few individuals shouldn’t be
rewarded; therefore, we hope that you make the right decision by selecting
Mekelle.
Sincerely,
Jacob Abraha
20.03.2009
More helpful links to know the reality
regarding Ethiopia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meles_Zenawi#Background
http://www.waltainfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8184&Itemid=52