by Mulubrhan Tsehaye
When it was announced that the CUD leaders were given clemency as a result of the intense negotiations with help of the elders (shimagles), for many Ethiopians, that was welcome news. Ethiopians were relieved to see the CUD leaders out of Kality because their release was seen as a good will gesture towards reconciliation in the spirit of forgiveness that would hopefully give way to a new culture of resolving political differences through peaceful negotiations and a tradition of give-and-take. It was also many people’s hope that the CUD leaders would learn from their previous blunders and drop the confrontational stance and come to the table of negotiation in good faith. To the disappointment of many however, it was not long before the released leaders decided to blatantly recant the official admission of responsibility and most importantly, instead of trying to meet and consult with the people who they claim to stand for and start negotiating with ruling party as many had hoped, they quickly announced that they were preparing to go abroad and solicit a political resolution that might come as a result of an external threat on the ruling party by some foreign forces. Once they arrived in the US and Europe, as we speak, they seem to have decided to become messengers of divisive politics, bitterness and vindictiveness, soliciting lawmakers in the US to pass a punitive measure such as the so-called HR 2003, that is design to chastise the needy and poor people of Ethiopia, the very same people they claim to fight for.
Of course, the majority of Ethiopians are fully aware that the much talked about worthless bill HR 2003 was essentially drafted by few known Diaspora extremists who were political shareholders of the previous military regime; the terror sponsoring state of Shaibya; and other terrorist groups like ONLF, OLF agents. As we all know, the bill was then championed by some ignorant congressmen who were swindled into believing that Ethiopia is some kind of banana republic they can bully and arm-twist into submission for the exclusive purpose of appeasing the few subservient radical Ethiopian buddies who have been soliciting them for some time now. Of course, the chance of it passing through the Senate and the President of the united states is only imaginary. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that despite the outlandish claims of those vocal extremists who have been lobbying and soliciting the two congressmen, the main objective of the bill has nothing to do with helping the process of democratization or human rights preservation in Ethiopia. One can’t help but notice that restricting security assistance to the nation as it states among other things in the bill, is clearly an attempt to open a clear way for the known terrorist groups like the brutal regime in Asmara and its mercenaries, the ONLF, OLF, remnants of Islamic Courts etc to roam the country unabated and plant bombs in any corner they choose and massacre innocent people and eventually destabilize the nation.
The good news is however the vast majority of Ethiopians are very much alert of this devious political plot that was merely geared to derail the new beginning of the reconciliation process and; thwart the process of democratization and poverty reduction endeavors in the country. It is a political defraud that does not reflect the political aspirations and patriotic fortitude of the mainstream Ethiopians who truly are optimistic about the newly created spirit of peaceful negotiations between the main political parties in the country; a step many believe significant in the efforts to promote democratic ideologies with the intention of participating in the on going process of building a democratic society. Thus, in the end, the so-called HR 2003 will evaporate to the thin air just as all the previous noisy funfairs of the few vocal Diaspora extremists did and the ride on the emotional saddle will come to its crushing. As for the Mandela want-to-be CUD leaders who are in the United States, indeed they seem charmed and captivated by all the entertainment in the luxurious hotels; the heroic welcomes with bouquets of flowers at airports; the worshiping arrival chants; the stand ovations and emotionally charged applauses after the sensationalized speeches filled with empty political lectures; and of course, the showers of dollar bills during fundraising events. However, the time is fast approaching where they have to go back and face the people of Ethiopia whom they have betrayed by their failure to take advantage of the presented opportunity for a peaceful settlement of political differences with their adversaries in the spirit of compromise so the country could continue to move forward. They failed to realize that in politics, quite often, winning does not mean that politicians should get everything at once. They seem to fail to realize that there could always be another day for them to try, if the have the perseverance; another chance for them to be heard, if they really have something important to say, another day for them to influence if they have something attractive to offer and perhaps to achieve what they want, if they really deserve it.
Despite the privilege of living in some of the world’s democracies that could serve them to learn at least the basics of a democratic process, it is indeed very sad and at times even frightening to see the vocal Diaspora extremists worship personalities without any regard as to what political or economic alternative policies those political personalities represent. It is a well established historical reality that Ethiopians have been known for producing many charismatic leaders and extraordinary heroes and heroines who bravely fought and unflinchingly gave their precious lives honoring the pride of their nation and defending the interest of their people. It is thus an insult to the Ethiopian people’s history of the remarkable patriotism and bravery for these shameless blind Diaspora supporters to try to make us believe that these self-indulgent leaders who clearly have lost their personal dignity and opted to bow for external force are Ethiopia’s national heroes. While the basics of politics demonstrate that any politician who claim to have some basic political principles would know that the real fight for genuine democracy for the people is within the people, the extreme blindfolded Diaspora supporters however don’t seem to have any qualms in labeling these opportunistic leaders as national heroes and worship them like a God chosen saints so long they perceive them as a last ditch in their pursuit for the Minelik’s palace.
It is indeed deeply disappointing for many patriotic Ethiopians to watch the recent spectacle of these CUD leaders and their blind supporters who seem to have no personal integrity and no patriotic conscience in advancing a political contrive that might help their unrelenting quest for power even if it means at the expense of humiliating their people and jeopardizing the national interest of the country. We know that many of these leaders are highly educated individuals thus capable of understanding the extent of the damage their actions could have on their credibility as Politicians and the overall process of democratization in the country but unfortunately, their academic status does not seem to spare them from simply being blinded by the temporary attention they have been getting from their blind Diaspora supporters, forgetting that when the time comes to go back, it is the Ethiopian people not the Diaspora extremists who they have to answer to with a possible justification for their pursuit of a bill that clearly undermines the sovereignty of a free country like Ethiopia and humiliates the proud people who never bowed to any foreign powers in their history.
Ethiopians of all political persuasions with free and independent choice of rational outlook that is focused on preserving and safeguarding the interest of the ordinary people need to get together and organize themselves to contest the threat posed by this self indulging political move that is merely designed to undermine the liberty of our people and challenge the freedom of our sovereign nation. Citizens in and outside Ethiopia cannot afford to sit idle and watch from a safe distance while those few extreme vocal Diasporas are working hard to lobby for passing this bill to its next step in an effort to humiliate the proud people of Ethiopia and undermine the longstanding sovereignty of a nation that is considered the symbol of ancient of civilization. They need to put their respective political interests on hold and team up with their compatriots and write to their respective US Senators to let them know unequivocally that Ethiopia is a sovereign country that is in midst of a treacherous road of transition to multi-party democracy; maintain economic growth and reduce poverty; increase access to basic education and improve health services. What the Ethiopian people entail from their true friends during these rather tough times are not intimidation and arm-twisting but encouragement and support, moral, financial or/and expertise that would expedite the long and challenging course. And yes, a prosperous nation of full fledged democracy and a society free of human rights infringement is a concept every Ethiopian aspires and dreams about but genuine democracy can only be materialized merely by the Ethiopian people within Ethiopia itself. Ethiopians have never bowed to any external interference through out their history and they are not about to take any marching orders from any foreign supremacy of any sort.
Feedback: mulu02@shaw.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment