Dilwenberu
Nega
22nd
March 2010
Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi’s declared intention to jam the VOA, once the concerned
authority has beefed up its techno capability, has sparked off a rumpus amongst
the Ethiopian expatriate communities in Europe and America, albeit they would
not be affected by the jamming of VOA.
Understandably, opinions on the issue are as varied as they are
divisive. At one end of the argument are the views of the flibbertigibbet
section of the vocal Diaspora, who sees in Meles’ move, an attempt to silence
dissent weeks before the Elections. This
sort of analysis, however, is an unmitigated poppycock, the proof of which I
shall be detailing in my pursuing argument.
At the other end of the argument, on the other hand, is the popular
belief that is shared by patriotic Ethiopians whose analysis is free from
political bias.
Accordingly,
patriotic Ethiopians first and foremost believe that no one should lose sight
of the fact that the maintenance of the Peoples’ Peace and the guarding of
national security constitute paramount responsibilities of a seasoned
leadership at all times: election or no election. And no one feels this more strongly than
EPDRF which has courageously endured 19 years of trial and tribulation at the
helm of a very complex nation. The
courage, therefore, to take unpopular measures to protect durable peace, to
defend our national security as well as safe-guard Ethiopia’s fledgling
democracy at all times had remained one of the main defining characters of
Meles Zenawi’s premiership. Look at, for
instance, the continuing demand by EDP to raise the salaries of
civil-servants. If the Government’s
interest was selfish and populist, it would have sanctioned such a move happily
knowing that such a move would be a vote winner. But because EPDRF is allergic to scoop
dividends from placing the nation’s sustainable economic growth at harms way,
it has adamantly refused to give in until such time that the economy is able to
shoulder the impact of the rise of salaries.
This might seem an unpopular move to even EPDRF MPs of marginal seats, but
it is, nonetheless, responsible leadership in action.
By
the same token, therefore, EPDRF cannot afford to sit on its hands while VOA
continue to jet-hose Ethiopians with its omelette of unsubstantiated reportage
and outright lies, the combined effect of which have the power to cause
unnecessary tension and havoc in the society.
The Government must have been at pains to take recourse to jam VOA
especially when all eyes have now riveted on Ethiopia’s forth-coming
Elections. But do not forget who is
leading Ethiopia today. No-nonsense
EPDRF will not kow-tow to any power intent on making it hostage to its
machinations. Meles
sounded as he had reached the end of his tether with VOA’s
wayward and provocative actions which are at loggerheads with universally
accepted norms of behaviour governing media outlets. The Government’s decision, under the
circumstances is, therefore, justifiable and in line with measures hitherto taken
by democratic governments in similar circumstances. One that springs to mind immediately is the
measure Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was forced to take in the 1980s
against the political wing of the IRA, Sein Fein. Her controversial gagging order prohibited
media outlets in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland from broadcasting
speeches and interviews by Sein Fein. By
denying the oxygen of publicity to an organization bent on violating the Queens
Peace in the UK, the British Government had effectively discharged the duties
of a responsible government. No sane
individual dared accuse Margaret Thatcher of rolling back the frontiers of free
speech and thought, let alone accuse her of introducing dictatorship to Great
Britain, because the end justified the means.
Why
is it, then, that when it comes to Ethiopia a “sauce to the goose is sauce to
the gander” does not work?
At
the press conference, Meles also clarified that his administration had in the
past submitted “piles of evidence” to VOA in the hope that VOA would rectify
its wholly unacceptable style of disseminating news to Ethiopia. When its complaints were not being addressed,
the Government decided that the best course of action is to deny VOA the oxygen
of publicity in Ethiopia. What is an
open secret both in and outside Ethiopia is that the leadership of the Amharic
service of the VOA is redolent with die-hard opponents of the ruling
EPDRF. And here lies the crux of the
matter. While no one disputes their
democratic right to oppose EPDRF, they cannot allow their political bias to
dictate VOA’s editorial policy. I am an attentive listener of VOA, and I
sometimes wonder if what I am listening to is party political broadcast on
behalf of one of Ethiopian gallimaufry opposition parties. Much to the chagrin of opponents of EPDRF, freedom
of speech and thought in Ethiopia remains safe and sound. Any suggestion, therefore, that Meles’ action
will roll back the frontiers of freedom of speech and thought in Ethiopia would
be tantamount to indulging in a mumbo-jumbo.
Ethiopia’s hard won peace and tranquillity should come above and beyond
the right of an outlandish media outlet to disseminate willy-nilly what it
wants. The Government’s move against the
VOA is not Hammurabi’s Law – unalterable law.
It goes without saying, therefore, that the impact of a marked
improvement in the performance of VOA’s Amharic Service will spur the
Government to rescind the jamming instruction.
Meanwhile, however, it’s high time that VOA undergoes some soul-searching.